Primary finding
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain proper alignment with the roadway during the takeoff roll. A factor relating to the accident was: the selection of an unsuitable area for takeoff.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During the takeoff roll on a gravel country road, the airplane drifted left and struck a ditch. The airplane then cartwheeled and flipped over in a field.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 4, 1996, at 0810 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna A188B, N9408R, piloted by a commercially certificated pilot, was destroyed during a collision with the terrain on takeoff roll. The airplane was departing from a county road five miles north and one mile west of Oskaloosa, Kansas. The pilot reported he received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was not operating on a flight plan. According to the pilot's written statement, during the takeoff roll from a gravel road, the airplane began to drift left and the left wing struck a ditch. The airplane cartwheeled and flipped over in a farm field. -