On April 21, 1986, a Cessna A188B (registration N9220R) operated by Gregory L. Schultz was involved in an aviation accident near Greenbush, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to continue the takeoff after encountering a soft spot on the sod runway, which resulted in insufficient airspeed and impact with a river bank. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During takeoff, the aircraft encountered a soft spot on the sod runway caused by recent rains. The pilot attempted to continue the takeoff but could not achieve sufficient airspeed before striking a river bank.
What happened
The pilot reported that the aircraft contacted a soft spot on the sod runway during the takeoff roll. This condition was attributed to recent rainfall in the area. As a result of the surface irregularity, the aircraft began to decelerate unexpectedly.
Recognizing that there was insufficient remaining runway distance to safely abort the takeoff, the pilot elected to continue the attempt to become airborne. Despite this effort, the aircraft failed to generate enough airspeed to lift off. Consequently, it struck a river bank located near the end of the runway.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue the takeoff after encountering a soft spot on the sod runway, which resulted in insufficient airspeed and impact with a river bank.
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