Primary finding
Probable cause
a hard landing resulting in the airplane departing the runway and impacting with a tree.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight was returning to the home airstrip, empty, after completion of an aerial application. The airplane touched down on the grass strip, bounced, departed the left side of the runway and struck a tree. The pilot returned the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and did not complete the narrative statement portion of the form. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any discrepancies.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1997, about 1310 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N731VR, registered to a private owner, crashed while landing at a private airstrip near Cadaretta, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 137, aerial application flight. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight had originated earlier in the day from the same airstrip. The flight was returning to the home airstrip, empty, after completion of an aerial application. The airplane touched down on the grass strip, bounced, departed the left side of the runway and struck a tree. The pilot returned the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and did not complete the narrative statement portion of the form. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any discrepancies. -