# Accident 20030115000689A: Cessna A188A, Brawley, CA, January 15, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 15, 2003, 08:00 local time
- Place: Brawley, CA
- Airport: Brawley Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: FAYG
- Location: 33.0000° N, 115.5000° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0000&lon=-115.5000&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5638J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5638J-2005-01-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna A188A (registry code 2073008, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a188a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA A188A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,940 total, 600 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX03LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030115000689A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19) ON JANUARY 15, 2003, AT 0800 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA A188A, N5638J, MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE DIRT STRIP NEAR BRAWLEY, CALIFORNIA. FARM AVIATION OPERATED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137, AS AN AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA CROP DUSTING FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATEAT THE PRIVATE DIRT STRIP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING CLIMB OUT THE ENGINE FAILED. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD AND DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO A DITCH. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT A NEWLY OVERHAULED (REMANUFACTURED) ENGINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE A COUPLE OF MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCRUED 17 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME SINCE THE ENGINE INSTALLATION. (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AFTER A TAKE-OFF ROLLOUT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED IN A FIELD AND HIT A DITCH CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAM             AGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND MOVED BACK TO FARM AVIATION'S BASE OF OPERATION. NTSB DID NOT CONDUCT ON-SITE INVESTIGATION AND FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE THE NEXT DAY. AT THAT TIME, FUEL FLOW WAS VERIFIED TO THE ENGINE, IGNITION SYSTEM FOUND OPERATIONAL, AND CYLINDER COMPRESSIONS SEEMED NORMAL. THE ENGINE DRIVESHAFT ROTATED FREELY WITH NO APPARENT NOISE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SHIPPED TO TCM FOR ENGINE RUN AND EVALUATION WITH NTSB PRESENT. NTSB DECIDED NOT TO RUN THE ENGINE, BUT HAD IT DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED. NO DEFECTS WERE REPORTED. THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR WAS CHECKED AND NO DEFECTS WERE REPORTED. CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT OR REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX03LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA070), Jan 15, 2003: Cessna A188A (N5638J), Brawley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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