Cessna A188B N9746G

Summary

On 13 July 1997 at about 19:10 local time, a Cessna A188B registered N9746G was involved in an accident near Aitkin, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 July 1997 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Aitkin, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Aitkin (AIT)

Coordinates

46.5306, -93.7090

Aircraft

Cessna A188B

Registration

N9746G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA210

1 person had minor injuries.

loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: the wet/soft terrain in the emergency landing area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said the airplane accelerated normally to climb speed during takeoff. At about 100 feet above ground level (AGL), he noticed that the manifold pressure was low. 'All other engine readings appeared normal. The engine rapidly lost power.' The pilot attempted to land in a hay field adjacent to the airport. During touchdown, the main gear dug into wet/soft ground, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot said, 'Engine power at touchdown was minimal to zero.' Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The pilot said that he could not remember how the switches were configured for takeoff. A note in the Cessna A188B Owner's Manual under HOT WEATHER/HOT ENGINE START (300 Horsepower Engine) stated, 'During a restart after a brief shutdown in extremely hot weather, the presence of fuel vapor may require the auxiliary fuel pump to operate in the 'ON' position for up to 1 minute or more before the vapor is cleared sufficiently to obtain 8 to 10 gallons/hour for starting.' A paragraph in the Cessna A188B Owner's Manual under TAKE-OFF stated, 'With 300 horsepower engines, it is important that the auxiliary fuel pump be turned off for take-off. Otherwise, the mixture will be excessively rich, causing a serious loss in power.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.