Cessna 188B accident near Centre, Alabama, June 29, 1993
On June 29, 1993 at about 1:05 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N731DH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centre, Alabama. 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 FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY TORQUE THE CRANKCASE THROUGH BOLTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1993 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Centre, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N731DH · no longer on the register · serial 18802811T
- 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 REPORTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVERS AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. DURING LANDING ROLL, THE PILOT INITIATED AN INTENTIONAL GROUND LOOP TO AVOID A RESIDENCE AT THE END OF THE FIELD, WHICH RESULTED IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT, A BROKEN MAIN CRANKSHAFT BEARING SHELL, AND EVIDENCE OF RUBBING BETWEEN THE CRANKCASE PARTING SUFACES DUE TO INSUFFICIENT TORQUE BEING PLACED ON THE CRANKCASE THROUGH BOLTS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,221 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 22, 1993; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vaughn Flying Svc. INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from GAD, 26 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.