- Date
- June 30, 1996, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Watford City, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N21744Cessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960630022499A
- Case key
- 10367
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 directional control while landing on a road.
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 automatic flagger jammed during an aerial application flight. The pilot elected to land on a road approximately 1 mile from the field he was spraying so that he could fix the flagger. The right main landing gear contacted a 'deep depression' on the shoulder of the road. The right main gear separated from the airplane allowing the propeller and right wing to contact the ground.
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1996, at 0845 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N21744, collided with a ditch while landing on a road during an aerial application operation in Watford City, North Dakota. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions existed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated from the Watford City Municipal Airport at 0815 cdt.
The pilot reported that approximately one-half hour into the aerial application flight the automatic flagger jammed which prevented him from continuing the application. He elected to land on a road approximately 1 mile from the field he was spraying so that he could unjam the flagger. During the landing, the right main landing gear contacted a "deep depression" in the shoulder of the road. This resulted in the right main landing gear separating from the airplane. The propeller and right wing contacted the ground and the airplane slid approximately 100 feet prior to coming to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21744
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18800998T
- Airframe hours
- 3,547
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- James L. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1996 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- S25
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,001 total · 560 in this make and model · 3,885 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.