Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to check the runway condition prior to takeoff. The soft runway was a factor.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The ag pilot had been operating from a paved runway earlier in the morning, but later that morning he moved the spraying operation to a wet, sod airstrip. Realizing that the sod was soft and wet, the pilot reduced the chemical load to accommodate the sod condition. During the initial takeoff run, the aircraft encountered a soft spot on the runway and never obtained flying speed. The pilot jettisoned the chemical load, and aborted the takeoff. The airplane rolled off the departure end of the 2150-foot runway into an adjacent field. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 8, 1995, at 1030 central daylight time, a Cessna 188T, N731MK, collided with the ground during a takeoff attempt from a private sod airstrip near Town Creek, Alabama. The aerial application flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The accident occurred during the initial takeoff from the sod airstrip. According to the pilot, he landed at the sod airstrip, and loaded the aircraft with 135 gallons of chemicals instead of the routine 150 gallons. The chemical load was reduced because of recent rain at the airstrip which left the runway wet. During the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a soft spot on the runway surface which slowed the ground roll. The airplane never reached flying speed, but continued off the departure end of the runway. As the airplane rolled into the cotton field, the pilot aborted the takeoff, and jettisoned the chemical load. No aircraft mechanical problems were reported by the pilot. -