Cessna 188 accident near Sylvania, Georgia, September 1, 1992
On September 1, 1992 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N9450G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sylvania, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL CONTAMINATION AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1992 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sylvania, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9450G · no longer on the register · serial 18801488T
- 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 COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING FUEL SAMPLES FOR CONTAMINATES; NO CONTAMINATES WERE REPORTED. THE PILOT LOADED THE CHEMICALS ON THE AIRPLANE, FLEW 15 MINUTES TO THE SOYBEAN FIELD AND STARTED THE SPRAYING OPERATION. AFTER SPAYING ABOUT 100 GALLONS, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES SURROUNDING THE FIELD. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL THE EVENTS OF THE ACCIDENT, NOR WERE THERE WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, TWO PEOPLE NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, RECALLED DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF THE ENGINE OPERATION PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF WATER IN THE FUEL MANIFOLD VALVE AND NUMBER 6 CYLINDER; IMPACT FORCES DAMAGED THE FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY DURING THE POST-CRASH 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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,835 hours in all; 2,145 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 175 in the last 30 days; 3,675 as pilot in command; 479 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,946 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 14, 1992; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from SAV, 35 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.