- Date
- June 24, 1985, 05:20 local (12:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lodi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9966JCessna 188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850624028119A
- Case key
- 24549
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
On June 24, 1985, at 0520 hours PDT, a Cessna ag truck 188B, N9966J, registered to james l. thomas and operated by ag- flight, inc. collided with the brim of an irrigation canal during take-off from the thomas ranch strip and impacted the ground in a field beyond the canal while on a flight to apply sulfer on a local vineyard. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was destroyed by crash impact forces and fire from the burning sulfer carried within the aircraft and the certificated ATP pilot suffered minor injury to his eyes from the burning sulfer. The pilot states that all normal preflight operations were conducted prior to the incident takeoff with no abnormal indication that during the takeoff roll the aircraft was slower than normal with sluggish acceleration. At lift off, the aircraft was in a near stall condition before striking the canal brim.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9966J
- Reported as
- Cessna 188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18803895
- Airframe hours
- 800
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-0, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- James L. Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,990 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 6,990 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 315° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.