Cessna A188B accident near Atmore, Alabama, July 26, 1989
On July 26, 1989 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N21612, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atmore, Alabama. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL LOOKOUT FOR OBSTACLES. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LOW (DAWN) POSITION OF THE SUN WHICH INTERFERED WITH THE PILOT'S VISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1989 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Atmore, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N21612 · registry record · serial 18800906
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED AN AERIAL APPLICATION AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SPRAYING THE EDGES OF THE FIELD. HE MADE A TURN INTO THE SUN, WAS MOMENTARILY BLINDED AND DID NOT SEE THE POWERLINES UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
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 land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAA Mccullough AL at 12:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°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.