Cessna 188 accident near Snow Hill, North Carolina, July 20, 1991
On July 20, 1991 at about 12:17 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N9072R, was destroyed in an accident near Snow Hill, North Carolina. 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
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TREE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1991 · about 12:17 pm local time
- Place
- Snow Hill, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9072R · no longer on the register · serial 188-020981
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH 50 FOOT TREES ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE SWATH RUN. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE CLIP THE TOP OF THE TREES AND CONTINUE ON THE ORIGINAL HEADING UNTIL IT CRASHED IN THE ADJACENT FIELD. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE OBSERVED OR DISCLOSED DURING WRECKAGE EXAMINATION.
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: airplane
- Flight time: 1,388 hours in all; 530 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,276 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D-23 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 am from ISO, 12 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.