Cessna A188B accident near St. Matthews, South Carolina, July 10, 1991
On July 10, 1991 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4905Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Matthews, South Carolina. 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SAFE CLEARANCE FROM POWER LINES, WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID AN AUTOMOBILE IN THE AREA OF HIS SPRAYING OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1991 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- St. Matthews, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4905Q · no longer on the register · serial 18802640T
- 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 AG PILOT WAS SPRAYING COTTON AND TIMING HIS PASSES TO AVOID AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC ON AN ADJACENT ROAD. THE DRIVER OF AN APPROACHING AUTOMOBILE APPLIED BRAKES AS THE AIRPLANE WAS COMMITTED TO A PASS UNDER A DOUBLE SET OF POWER LINES. THE PILOT ABRUPTLY PULLED UP TO AVOID THE AUTOMOBILE, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE WIRES. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND IT CRASHED INTO AN ADJACENT FIELD.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Cameron SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from SSC, 25 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.
Other NTSB records under N4905Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.