- Date
- August 10, 2008, 14:33 local (18:33 UTC)
- Place
- Gardner, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4494QCessna A188B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080810855469A
- Case key
- 68683
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 misjudged distance/altitude during takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 of the Cessna A188B, departed from a private grass field with approximately 100 gallons of agricultural chemicals on board for an aerial application flight. He stated that on departure he "did not pull up fast enough" and felt a "jolt" when the right main landing gear impacted a 4-foot-high gate post, later discovering that the landing gear had been sheared. He then pressed on the brake pedals to see if his brakes were operational; however, there was no pressure and "the pedal went to the floor." He applied his chemical load to the field in order to decrease his landing weight and then flew to an airport with a longer runway, assuming he had no brakes. Immediately after the airplane touched down it "broke to the right," and impacted a fence damaging the wing spar. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Cessna A188B, departed from a private grass field with approximately 100 gallons of agricultural chemicals on board for an aerial application flight. He stated that on departure he "did not pull up fast enough" and felt a "jolt" when the right main landing gear impacted a 4-foot-high gate post, later discovering that the landing gear had been sheared. He then pressed on the brake pedals to see if his brakes were operational; however, there was no pressure and "the pedal went to the floor." He applied his chemical load to the field in order to decrease his landing weight and then flew to an airport with a longer runway, assuming he had no brakes. Immediately after the airplane touched down it "broke to the right," and impacted a fence damaging the wing spar. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4494Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18800894
- Engine
- Continental IO 520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Mary C. Weisman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Fort White, FL
- Destination
- FD40 · Gardner, FL
- Airport
- FD31 · Bradley Airport, runway 36, 4,000 × 135 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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PGD, 28 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.
Other investigations on N4494Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.