N9326R

On September 1, 2000, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N9326R, owned and operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with a hay bale during initial climb and subsequent main landing gear collapse during a precautionary landing at the pilot's private airstrip near Nickerson, Kansas. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained no injuries. The flight was departing for the local aerial application flight at the time of the accident.

According the pilot's written statement, he was departing for an aerial application flight when on takeoff the aircraft impacted a hay bale located at the end of the runway. The pilot stated, "The acceleration during the take-off roll seemed lower than normal, this was expected given the heavy load [165-gallons of herbicide solution] and high density altitude [approximated at 4,780-mean sea level]." The pilot reported, "The aircraft became airborne just prior to reaching the end of the runway, but the airspeed was still well below Vy [best rate of climb airspeed]. I attempted to accelerate in 'ground effect' to Vy [best rate of climb airspeed], but the aircraft did not accelerate, so I decided to dump some of the load." The pilot stated that while he was dumping some of the chemical load, the aircraft "...bounce off the alfalfa field at least once and perhaps several times." The pilot reported that after releasing most of the chemical load, the aircraft was able to establish a normal climb attitude and speed. The pilot stated that he maneuvered the aircraft back for a landing and during the landing the right main landing gear collapsed, the right wing impacted the terrain, and the aircraft skidded to a stop.

The pilot reported that witnesses to the accident saw the aircraft impact a hay bale, located off the end of the runway used for the takeoff run, severing the right main landing gear.

The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, "I could have carried a smaller load or simply not flown when the density altitude gets too high. Also could have checked the adjacent fields for temporary obstructions (in this case some hay bales) that may have been placed there."