- Date
- May 17, 1998, 20:15 local (May 18, 1998, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Crookston, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4962QCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980517009689A
- Case key
- 10885
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 inadvertently stalled the airplane. Factors included the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion when the pilot failed to refuel the airplane. Another factor was fatigue.
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 reported that he started aerial spraying between 0530 and 0600 CDT that morning and continued spraying until the time of the accident. He departed the airport with another load of chemical but had not refueled. He reported that he was heading for a field at 100 to 150 feet above ground level when the engine quit. He reported, 'I immediately looked for a place to land and had to resort to a muddy field. While maneuvering the airplane stalled. While trying to recover the airplane struck the ground.' The pilot stated in a phone interview, 'I'm sure it ran out of gas.' He reported that airplane had been running well all day and had given no indications of anything going wrong. The pilot also stated, 'Fatigue was a major factor in all circumstances leading to the accident.'
Factual narrative
On May 17, 1998, at 2015 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, operated by Coauette Aviation, was substantially damaged when it lost engine power during cruise and impacted a field during an emergency landing three miles south of Crookston, Minnesota. The pilot received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight departed from Fertile Municipal Airport, Fertile, Minnesota, on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he had started aerial spraying between 0530 and 0600 CDT that morning and continued spraying until the time of the accident. He departed the Fertile Airport with another load of chemical but had not refueled. He reported that as he was heading for a field at 100 to 150 feet above ground level, the engine quit.
He reported, "I immediately looked for a place to land and had to resort to a muddy field. While maneuvering the airplane stalled. While trying to recover the airplane struck the ground." The pilot stated in a phone interview, "I'm sure it ran out of gas." He reported that airplane had been running well all day and had given no indications of anything going wrong. The pilot also stated, "Fatigue was a major factor in all circumstances leading to the accident."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4962Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18802696T
- Airframe hours
- 3,526
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D2B, 300 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Coauette Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 1998 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- D14 · Fertile, MN
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 628 total · 340 in this make and model · 504 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 80° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CKN, 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.
Other investigations on N4962Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.