- Date
- July 16, 2007, 08:05 local (13:05 UTC)
- Place
- New Hartford, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4412QCessna 188A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-St Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070716013709A
- Case key
- 66349
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 the tree line during the turn between aerial application passes. The low altitude, the downdraft encountered by the pilot, and the trees were contributing factors.
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 airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during an agricultural application pass. The pilot stated that he had completed one pass and was turning back to make another when he encountered a "thermal." The airplane was approximately 150 feet above ground level in a 45-degree "plus" banked turn at the time. He noted that as he started to rollout, the airplane began to "sink in what seem[ed] to be a thermal." The airplane was about 40 feet above and 250 feet in front of a tree line at the time of the encounter. The pilot stated: "I added full power [and] lowered the nose, [but] was unable to recover from the thermal." The airplane contacted the trees and "with all lift gone and more trees ahead," he elected to land in the cornfield. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during an agricultural application pass. The pilot stated that he had completed one pass and was turning back to make another when he encountered a "thermal." The airplane was approximately 150 feet above ground level in a 45-degree "plus" banked turn at the time. He noted that as he started to rollout, the airplane began to "sink in what seem[ed] to be a thermal." The airplane was about 40 feet above and 250 feet in front of a tree line at the time of the encounter. The pilot stated: "I added full power [and] lowered the nose, [but] was unable to recover from the thermal." The airplane contacted the trees and "with all lift gone and more trees ahead," he elected to land in the cornfield. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4412Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 188A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18800812
- Airframe hours
- 4,495
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- H19 · Bowling Green, MO
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 25,017 total · 12,000 in this make and model · 24,773 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UIN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.