N2535J

On June 4, 1994, at 0600 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N2535J, ground looped on takeoff from a private airstrip near Angela, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the aerial application flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was loaded with 170 gallons of the herbicide 24D. There was no chemical spill.

In a written statement, the pilot reported that the airplane had just been fueled by the ground crew while he was loading the chemical. Prior to takeoff, the pilot stated that he checked the oil and drained the fuel pump but did not check the fuel filler caps. During the takeoff ground roll, just before lift off, the pilot noticed that the fuel cap on the right wing was loose and fuel was leaking from the filler cap. The pilot aborted the takeoff and applied the brakes. The pilot stated that the night before it had rained and the sod runway was wet. The brakes were not effective and the airplane began to slide to the side and eventually ground looped before coming to a stop.