No fatalities

Cessna A188B Collides with Gate Post and Fence During Agricultural Flight

Gardner, FL, United States

On August 10, 2008, a Cessna A188B operated by Mary C. Weisman was involved in an aviation accident near Gardner, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude during takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A Cessna A188B agricultural airplane struck a gate post on departure, shearing the landing gear. After treating the field, the pilot landed at another airport where the airplane veered right and hit a fence.

Departure Incident

The pilot of a Cessna A188B departed from a private grass field with approximately 100 gallons of agricultural chemicals on board for an aerial application flight. During the departure, the pilot reported that he did not pull up fast enough and felt a jolt when the right main landing gear impacted a 4-foot-high gate post. The landing gear was sheared as a result of the impact.

Post-Departure Actions

After the collision, the pilot pressed the brake pedals to check for functionality but found no pressure; the pedal went to the floor. He then applied the chemical load to the field to reduce landing weight and proceeded to an airport with a longer runway, assuming the brakes were inoperative.

Landing and Subsequent Collision

Upon touchdown at the airport, the airplane immediately broke to the right and impacted a fence, which damaged the wing spar. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane throughout the flight.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Fence/fence post