- Date
- October 29, 2002, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Seminole, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4779JCessna T188C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20021029030559A
- Case key
- 55973
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
After the agricultural airplane departed the private airstrip en route to a field to be sprayed, the engine began to lose power. The pilot stated that the "aircraft seemed to be nose heavy and would not maintain [airspeed] or altitude." The pilot attempted to return to the airstrip; however, he determined that he could not reach the airstrip and initiated a forced landing to a cotton field. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a dirt berm and came to rest upright. The pilot did not dispense the chemical load during the loss of airspeed and altitude. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Factual narrative
On October 29, 2002, approximately 1045 central standard time, a Cessna T188C single-engine agricultural airplane, N4779J, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a cotton field following a loss of engine power near Seminole, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight departed from a private airstrip approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot reported that while enroute to a field to be sprayed, the engine began to lose power. The pilot stated that the "aircraft seemed to be nose heavy and would not maintain [airspeed] or altitude." The pilot attempted to return to the airstrip; however, he determined that he could not reach the airstrip and initiated a forced landing to a cotton field.
According to an FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, during the forced landing, the airplane struck a dirt berm and came to rest upright. The inspector reported the right wing was damaged and the right main landing gear was separated. The inspector reported that the pilot did not attempt to dispense the chemical load during the loss of airspeed and altitude. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4779J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803765T
- Airframe hours
- 8,643
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-T, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- John Wesley Addison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2002 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- Seminole, TX
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 500 in this make and model · 400 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.