No fatalities

Tail-Wheel Airplane Departs Runway and Strikes Ditch During Landing Rollout

Starkville, MS, United States

On October 8, 2011, a CESSNA 188 operated by MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY was involved in an aviation accident near Starkville, MS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. 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

During landing rollout, a tail-wheel airplane veered left, departed the runway, and struck a ditch, causing substantial damage to the right wing. Postaccident examination found no mechanical anomalies.

Accident Details

According to the operator, the pilot performed a normal landing in a tail-wheel equipped airplane. During the subsequent rollout, the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot attempted to arrest the turn by applying right rudder and right brake, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

Departure from Runway

The airplane continued veering left until it departed the runway and struck a ditch approximately 40 feet beyond the left side of the runway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the right wing.

Postaccident Examination

Postaccident examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

No further details were provided by the operator or the investigating authorities.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot