Casualties unknown

Agricultural Spraying Aircraft Noses Over After Crosswind Takeoff From Road (N2093J)

Walhalla, ND, US

On July 17, 1991, a Cessna T188C (registration N2093J) operated by Hardy Avaition, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Walhalla, ND. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS, AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot conducting agricultural spraying from a county road landed due to rain. As a thunderstorm approached with gusty southwest crosswinds, takeoff was attempted westbound, but directional control was lost, leading to a ditch and nose-over.

Incident Summary

The pilot was conducting an agricultural spraying operation that utilized a hard surfaced county road as a runway. The operation was being conducted off of this road, indicating that the road served as the takeoff and landing area for the spraying aircraft. Rain began to fall, prompting the pilot to land on the road and wait for the rain to stop. A thunderstorm was approaching from the west, and as the pilot waited, the wind began to increase and become gusty. The pilot then made the decision to attempt a takeoff to the west with the intention of returning to the airport. The crosswind at the time was from the southwest. During the takeoff roll, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The aircraft became airborne but drifted to the right. It subsequently settled into a ditch adjacent to the road and nosed over.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X17477. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.