Cessna A188 N78417 accident near Atchison, Kansas

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during the postaccident examination.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was conducting agricultural application operations. He reported that, after topping off the airplane with fuel and flying two loads, on the third takeoff, the airplane "would not come off the ground." He checked the engine controls, then dumped the load in an unsuccessful attempt to become airborne before the end of the runway. The airplane continued off the runway and impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane owner witnessed the attempted takeoff and reported that the engine puffed black smoke during the takeoff run. He added that the fuel servo provided a mixture that was too rich, so the pilots would reduce the mixture on the ground and then use a full rich mixture for takeoff. A visual examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of anomalies. Although the appearance of black smoke from the engine is consistent with an overly rich fuel mixture, based on the information provided by the pilot and no anomalies found during the engine examination, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18LA350 for the full record.