- Date
- June 21, 1998, 21:15 local (Jun 22, 1998, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- South Haven, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9209RCessna 188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980622014929A
- Case key
- 10928
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 misjudging his distance and not maintaining the proper altitude. A factor was trees.
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
While conducting an aerial application maneuver the airplane's spray rig caught in bushes and the pilot was unable to regain control of the airplane prior to it impacting the trees and the terrain. After the accident an examination of the airplane failed to reveal any pre-accident anomalies which would have contributed to the accident.
Factual narrative
On June 21, 1998, at 2115 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 188B, N9209R, sustained substantial damage on impact with the terrain while making a swath run near South Haven, Michigan. The pilot said that the spray rig for dispensing chemicals caught in the bushes and the airplane was pulled into trees and the terrain. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight which departed South Haven about 2050.
The pilot said that he got too low and the spray rig caught in the bushes. He said he was unable to regain control of the airplane prior to it impacting with the trees and the terrain.
A post accident examination of the airplane failed to reveal any pre-accident anomalies which may have contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9209R
- Reported as
- Cessna 188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18802154
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Robertson Crop Dusting Svc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1997
- Departed
- 0D1 · South Haven, MI
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 338 total · 32 in this make and model · 295 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIV, 25 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.