- Date
- July 21, 1989, 19:03 local (Jul 22, 1989, 00:03 UTC)
- Place
- Town Creek, AL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5618GCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890721024649A
- Case key
- 7837
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadvertent stall at an altitude inadequate to effect a safe recovery.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was returning to the airport from an aerial application flight to refuel and reload chemicals. Ground witnesses reported he flew over the runway, west to east, at an extremely low altitude. At the downwind runway threshold, the airplane climbed steeply and stalled during the turn to reverse course for landing. It entered a steep descent before completing the course reversal and impacted the ground about 1/8 mile from the runway. Toxicological testing did not reveal any evidence of pilot impairment. No flight control nor engine power discrepancies were found with the airplane during the subsequent examinations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5618G
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801113
- Airframe hours
- 3,981
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- James W. Brooks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 20, 1989
- Departed
- Town Creek, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSL, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5618G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.