N5657J

On July 16, 1994, at 1245 eastern daylight time, Cessna A188A, N5657J, collided with trees during an attempted pull up from a swath run near Cochran, Georgia. The aerial application flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 137 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and the pilot received serious injuries. The flight departed from a private airstrip in Cochran at 1220.

According to the operator, the pilot was on climb out from the third swath run when the aircraft collided with the trees. The operator recalled that there was an increase in wind speed and there was a shift in wind direction when the pilot attempted the climb out from the field; the operator also said that the climb out was attempted with a tail wind.

The pilot reported that a substantial load of pesticides was being carried at the time of the accident. He also reported that there was a gusting tail wind at the time of the accident, and that airspeed was diminished due to a loss of "momentum" from short passes on a small field. He reported no mechanical malfunction or failure with the aircraft following the accident.