Cessna A188B accident near Tifton, Georgia, July 8, 1994
On July 8, 1994 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N9583G, was destroyed in an accident near Tifton, Georgia (None airport). 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
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE AIRCRAFT CHECKLIST, RESULTING IN AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF WITH THE ELEVATOR TRIM IMPROPERLY SET. A FACTOR WAS THE TREES AT THE PERIMETER OF THE AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1994 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tifton, Georgia · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9583G · no longer on the register · serial 18801545T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- 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 TAKING OFF WITH A LOAD OF WATER, TO PRACTICE AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVERS. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT 2/3 DOWN THE DIRT RUNWAY. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DUMP THE LOAD OF WATER; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CLEAR PERIMETER TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE TREES, CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD, AND BURNED. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS IN THE FULL NOSE DOWN POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST SPECIFIES THAT ELEVATOR TRIM BE SET FOR TAKEOFF (NEUTRAL). FULL NOSE DOWN TRIM EQUATES TO ABOUT 12 DEGREES ABOVE NEUTRAL.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,318 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1994; 148 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 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 4, 3,000 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:28 pm from VLD, 36 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 N9583G 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.