Cessna A188B accident near Town Creek, Alabama, July 22, 1989
On July 22, 1989, a Cessna A188B, registered N5618G, was destroyed in an accident near Town Creek, Alabama. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INADVERTENT STALL AT AN ALTITUDE INADEQUATE TO EFFECT A SAFE RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1989
- Place
- Town Creek, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5618G · no longer on the register · serial 18801113
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT FROM AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT TO REFUEL AND RELOAD CHEMICALS. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED HE FLEW OVER THE RUNWAY, WEST TO EAST, AT AN EXTREMELY LOW ALTITUDE. AT THE DOWNWIND RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED STEEPLY AND STALLED DURING THE TURN TO REVERSE COURSE FOR LANDING. IT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT BEFORE COMPLETING THE COURSE REVERSAL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 1/8 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PILOT IMPAIRMENT. NO FLIGHT CONTROL NOR ENGINE POWER DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATIONS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,981 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Town Creek AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from MSL, 15 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.