- Date
- August 1, 2026, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Randolph, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9998JCessna T188C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 203583
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 tree during a low-level aerial application flight.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, the airplane was climbing out from a spray pass along a field when a gust of wind pushed the airplane into a tree, striking the left wing. The pilot was able to maintain control of the airplane and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9998J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803927T
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 1,686
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-T, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Becker Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Becker Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 3, 2026 · 211 hours before
- Departed
- 0B4 · Hartington, NE
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 21, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 910 total · 546 in this make and model · 859 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KOFK, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KOFK 011856Z AUTO 36013KT 10SM CLR 28/16 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP175 T02830156 $,M
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.