Preliminary Report: Cessna 188 Accident in Bragado, Argentina (N86448)

Incident Overview and Location On 27 November 2025, at approximately 22:30, a Cessna 188B with registration N86448 was involved in an accident during takeoff from a prepared field in Bragado, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The location was recorded at 35:08:59 South latitude and 60:31:50 West longitude. The flight was a non-commercial test flight operated by a private owner in Argentina. ## Aircraft and Powerplant Details The aircraft was a 1975 Cessna 188B, a fixed-wing airplane in the 0-2,250 kg mass group. It had accumulated 14,507.7 total flight hours. The aircraft was powered by a Lycoming IO-550-D engine (serial number 1012165) with 1,223.1 total hours and 155.2 hours since major overhaul. The propeller was a Hartzell HC-C3YF-1RF/F9587C-15S PY204B, also with 1,223.1 total hours. The maintenance documentation was noted as not current, and the airworthiness certificate was listed as 'Other'. ## Flight Phase and Accident Description The accident occurred during the takeoff phase. The preliminary report identified the cause as a powerplant failure or malfunction (SCF-PP). The description mentions the aircraft was attempting to sustain climb, which included the partial detachment of one of the wings and the detachment of the left landing gear leg from the cabin. The flight duration was 0.1 hours. ## Personnel and Injuries The pilot-in-command was a male with an airplane pilot license issued by the State of Operator. He had 2,648.1 total flight hours and 14.7 hours on type. The pilot sustained serious injuries but survived. There were no fatalities, minor injuries, or injuries to persons on the ground. ## Environmental and Impact Conditions The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) during daylight with 9,999 m visibility. The wind was calm at 2 kt from the surface. The terrain was level/flat grass at 180 ft elevation. The aircraft traveled 40 m before impact. The impact speed was low, and the attitude at impact was unknown. The ELT was not carried, and the pilot used an upper body restraint.