Cessna A188B N8075G accident near Bay Port, Michigan

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to takeoff from a soft wet runway with a quartering tailwind which resulted in a lack of climb performance and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was beginning his fourth agricultural application flight of the day and that the air temperature and wind speed had increased from previous flights that morning. He began the takeoff roll to the north on the soft, wet runway and noted that toward the end of the runway, the airplane entered “ground effect” and had difficulty climbing. He attempted a slight right turn to avoid trees on the northwest end of the runway and the airplane descended into a soybean field and impacted a drainage ditch. The airplane nosed over and tumbled multiple times which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The nearest recorded weather observation reported the wind from 240° at 6 knots, which resulted in a left quartering tailwind for the takeoff.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA374 for the full record.