Cessna A188B N731YZ

Summary

On 25 March 2004 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna A188B registered N731YZ, operated by Dales Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Palouse, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 2004 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Palouse, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.8861, -117.0939

Aircraft

Cessna A188B

Registration

N731YZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dales Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palouse → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA04LA057

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to takeoff downwind resulting in his inability to achieve a positive climb rate and an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors contributing to the accident included the rising terrain and the tailwind condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed runway 22 with a light quartering tailwind from a private airstrip in an area where the terrain was comprised of gently rolling hills. Unable to climb, the pilot started a gradual turn to the right to avoid rising terrain, and at the same time opened the dump gate to lighten his load. The airplane touched down on a hill at the end of the runway, bounced back into the air and landed going up the next hill at the end of the runway. The airplane then ground looped damaging its right wing. A 0753, a weather reporting facility located 7 nautical miles south of the accident site reported wind 080 degrees at 14 knots. At 0853, the same weather reporting facility reported wind 100 degrees at 17 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.