- Date
- June 4, 1994, 06:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Angela, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2535JCessna T188C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940604025499A
- Case key
- 41955
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
Directional control was not maintained. Factors to the accident were: wet terrain and inadequate aircraft preflight.
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
During the takeoff ground roll, the pilot noted that the fuel cap on the wing was loose and fuel was leaking from the filler cap. The pilot opted to abort the takeoff and applied the brakes. The pilot stated that the sod runway was wet and the brakes were not effective. The airplane began to slide and ground looped before coming to a stop.
Factual narrative
On June 4, 1994, at 0600 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N2535J, ground looped on takeoff from a private airstrip near Angela, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the aerial application flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was loaded with 170 gallons of the herbicide 24D. There was no chemical spill.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that the airplane had just been fueled by the ground crew while he was loading the chemical. Prior to takeoff, the pilot stated that he checked the oil and drained the fuel pump but did not check the fuel filler caps. During the takeoff ground roll, just before lift off, the pilot noticed that the fuel cap on the right wing was loose and fuel was leaking from the filler cap. The pilot aborted the takeoff and applied the brakes. The pilot stated that the night before it had rained and the sod runway was wet. The brakes were not effective and the airplane began to slide to the side and eventually ground looped before coming to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2535J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803471T
- Airframe hours
- 2,268
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520T, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Pluhar, Dennis A.
- Registered owner
- Pluhar, Dennis A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 1994 · 108 hours before
- Airport
- Haglof, runway 4, 3,000 × 50 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,079 total · 3,034 in this make and model · 3,926 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N2535J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.