NTSB Factual Report

On October 11, 2006, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 188B, N91181, registered to a private individual and operating as a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight, crashed in a cotton field shortly after takeoff in Belhaven, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage. The airline transport rated-pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot, during takeoff from a grass airstrip, the airplane stalled on initial climb and crashed in a cotton field. He was carrying 150 gallons of chemicals. The pilot stated that, upon exiting the airplane, he observed that the wind had switched from a headwind to a tailwind. The pilot stated that he should have erected a windsock or should have taken on a lighter load of chemicals. He also said that there were no mechanical problems noted with the airplane prior to the accident. Substantial damage occurred to both wings, the propeller, the fuselage, and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

According to an FAA Inspector, the pilot was engaged in aerial application operations without an agricultural operator certificate.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to compensate for wind conditions and maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.