- Date
- June 17, 2003, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hornersville, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N70403Cessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- St. Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030617037829A
- Case key
- 57262
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was substantially damaged when it veered off the side of the runway during takeoff. The pilot reported he prematurely raised the tail of the airplane during takeoff. He stated the airplane "weather vaned" into the wind and he lost control. The wings impacted the ground and the right main gear collapsed. A weather station 11 nautical miles from the accident site reported the winds from 060 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot reported east winds at 12 knots at the scene.
Factual narrative
On June 17, 2003, at 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N70403, operated by McCormick Aviation as an aerial application flight, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during takeoff from runway 18 (2,648 feet by 47 feet, asphalt) at Hornersville Memorial Airport (37M), Hornersville, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported he prematurely raised the tail of the airplane during takeoff. He stated the airplane "weathervaned" into the wind, and he lost control. The airplane reportedly drifted off the ruway's surface. Each wing impacted the terrain and the right landing gear subsequently collapsed.
The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the accident flight.
A weather reporting station at Arkansas International Airport, 11 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site, recorded at 1251, winds from 060 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot reported east winds at 12 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70403
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801912T
- Airframe hours
- 5,315
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Eugene C McCormick DBA McCormick Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 2003 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- 37M · Hornersville, MO
- Airport
- 37M · Hornersville Memorial Airport, runway 18, 2,648 × 47 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 9, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 11,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BYH, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.