- Date
- October 2, 1998, 08:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- Tellasse, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4832RCessna 188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981002039869A
- Case key
- 44105
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a utility line while conducting a swath run.
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 approaching from the northeast for a swath spray, waiting to fly over power lines that intersected a cotton field at the arrival end. The pilot thought that he was clear to push over into the cotton field to start his spray run. However, he was not completely clear of the power lines and on the push over became entangled with the ridge wire that runs from one pole to another giving the poles stability. The wire tangled between the propeller blades and around the propeller shaft slowing the engine to a stop. While tethered by the cable the aircraft fell approximately 250 to 300 feet, striking a slope and turning almost 180 degrees from the direction of impact.
Factual narrative
On October 2, 1998 about 0835 Central Daylight Time, a Cessna 188B agricultural airplane, N4832R, collided with a high tension line and subsequently the ground while spraying a field in Tellasse, Alabama. The airplane was operated by Morris Flying Services, Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 137, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane received substantial damage. The flight originated from Shorter, Alabama, at 0750.
According to the FAA Inspector, who interviewed the pilot, the pilot was approaching from the northeast for a swath spray, waiting to fly over power lines that intersected a cotton field at the arrival end. The pilot thought that he was clear to push over into the cotton field to start his spray run. However, he was not completely clear of the power lines and on the push over became entangled with the ridge wire that runs from one pole to another giving the poles stability.
The wire tangled between the propeller blades and around the propeller shaft slowing the engine to a stop. While tethered by the cable the aircraft fell approximately 250 to 300 feet, striking a slope and turning almost 180 degrees from the direction of impact, substantially damaging the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4832R
- Reported as
- Cessna 188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18802351T
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- William Harry Mc Gowan, doing business as Morris Flying Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Morris Flying Services, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- PVT · Shorter, 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 620 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGM, 20 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.