Cessna 188B accident near Whiteville, Tennessee, October 17, 2001
On October 17, 2001 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N4784R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whiteville, Tennessee (Bolivar, Hardiman Co airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the engine driven fuel pump that contaminated the fuel system and restricted fuel flow to the engine.. A factor is rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2001 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Whiteville, Tennessee · Bolivar, Hardiman Co · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4784R · no longer on the register · serial 18802320T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while conducting a routine aerial application swath run, the airplane's engine lost power and collided with a berm during an emergency landing. Examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the engine driven fuel pump failed as the pilot maneuvered a swath run. The examination also discovered metal debris in the fuel screen assembly that restricted fuel flow. When the debris was removed, fuel flow returned to normal.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 7,340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2001; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental I0520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MO8 Bolivar TN at 2:30 pm
- Destination: M08 Whiteville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from MEM, 47 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.