Pilot Debrief

Cessna A188 near Whitewater, KS — 2018-08-17

Final reportCEN18LA342
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Date
2018-08-17
Location
Whitewater, KS, USA
Aircraft
Cessna A188
Registration
N9076R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power due to low cylinder compression, which led to the forced landing following a pull-up maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s high gross weight.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing an aerial application flight with the airplane loaded with product near its maximum gross weight. As the pilot pulled up to reverse course after the second application pass, the airplane did not fly as expected. Because of his low altitude, he conducted a forced landing in the cornfield. The airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to left wing, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizers, elevators, and rudder. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the cylinders had low compression. This would have resulted in a partial loss of engine power. It is likely the airplane was at a low energy state during the pull-up maneuver to reverse direction, and the partial engine power loss would have further reduced the airplane's energy. These issues, combined with the airplane's high gross weight, would have made sustained flight difficult.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the application pass when the airplane did not fly as expected.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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