- Date
- June 26, 2025, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Gilead, OH · Tree line bordering a vegetated field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3619JCessna T188C
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250626008939A
- Case key
- 200394
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 adequate airspeed while in a turn during initial climb and the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed in variable light wind conditions for an aerial application flight. During the initial climb, the airplane reached an altitude of about 40 ft agl as the pilot began a turn away from the runway. The pilot described that the wind shifted to a tailwind and the airplane’s airspeed decreased. The airplane then exceeded its critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude. With insufficient height to recover, the airplane descended into trees located beyond the departure end of the runway and came to rest in an upright position near a tree line. The airplane’s wings, fuselage, and tail section were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3619J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803565T
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 7,402.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Fisher AG Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2025 · 26.8 hours before
- Departed
- 4I9 · Mount Gilead, OH
- Airport
- 4I9 · Morrow County Airport, runway 10, 3,495 × 65 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 318.2 total · 10.5 in this make and model · 216.6 as pilot in command · 88.2 in the last 90 days · 16.2 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- MNN, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KMNN 261253Z AUTO 21005KT CLR 26/23 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP186 T02610228
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 151 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3619J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.