Cessna A188 accident near Salem, Oregon, June 14, 2017
On June 14, 2017 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna A188, registered N4877Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Salem, Oregon (Harchenko Industrial airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane contacting tall grass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Oregon · Harchenko Industrial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188 B, built 1976 · all A188s on the register
- Registration
- N4877Q · no longer on the register · serial 18802613T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll for an agricultural flight, the airplane drifted left of the runway center, and the left wing and spray boom encountered tall grass. Subsequently, the airplane spun about 270°. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported in the Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation section of NTSB Form 6120.1 that the tall grass next to the runway "will be maintained shorter."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,230 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 109 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,505.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550D10B (piston); 555 hours total
- Operator: Industrial Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: OR38 Salem OR at 11:30 pm
- Destination: OR38 Salem OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,290 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KSLE, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.