- Date
- June 2, 1989, 20:52 local (Jun 3, 1989, 00:52 UTC)
- Place
- Belding, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5658JCessna 188A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890602014209A
- Case key
- 14193
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 poor preflight assessment of the runway condition/aircraft performance capabilities, and the aircraft's resultant failure to attain flying speed. Soft terrain is a factor in the accident.
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 pilot stated that he was attempting to depart from a 2,000 foot long sod strip with a load of malathion for agricultural application. He reported that the aircraft encountered a soggy portion of the airstrip and failed to accelerate to rotation speed. The aircraft ran off the departure end of the runway, and struck a small tree before it impacted a dirt bank and came to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5658J
- Reported as
- Cessna 188A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18800608
- Airframe hours
- 2,651
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Studer, Aflred, doing business as Al'S Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Studer, Alfred C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 1989 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Belding, MI
- Airport
- NONE, runway 9, 2,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Center
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 18 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.