Cessna A188A accident near Florala, Alabama, August 17, 1982
On August 17, 1982 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188A, registered N9916G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Florala, Alabama (Florala Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1982 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Florala, Alabama · Florala Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188A · all A188As on the register
- Registration
- N9916G · no longer on the register · serial 188-00716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 30 TO 40 FT AGL, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY WENT TO THE RIGHT AS THE FLAPS WERE BEING RETRACTED. IN AN EFFORT TO COUNTERACT THE LATERAL MOVEMENT, THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT AILERON AND RUDDER WHICH STARTED THE RECOVERY. HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RECOVER AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FLAP CABLE, PN 166300-12, HAD FAILED. THE PART HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN 1971 AND HAD BEEN IN USE FOR 2651 FLIGHT HOURS.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 312 hours in all; 36 in the last 90 days; 245 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,651 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0J4 Florala AL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 0J4 Florala AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.