Cessna 188B accident near Ocilla, Georgia, October 31, 1996
On October 31, 1996 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N731BQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ocilla, Georgia. 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 adequately preflight and plan the fuel required for the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 1996 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ocilla, Georgia · 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
- N731BQ · no longer on the register · serial 18802771T
- 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 experienced a complete loss of engine power as he maneuvered for a swath run. The pilot selected a cotton field adjacent to the field that he was spraying for the forced landing. The examination of the airframe and the engine assembly failed to disclose a mechanical problem. No fuel was recovered from the aircraft fuel system; however, the fuel bladder was damaged and a small quantity of fuel was reportedly spilled in the bottom of the wing assembly. According to the Cessna 188B flight manual, two gallons of fuel are unusable in the aircraft fuel system. During a functional check of the engine assembly, the engine started and operated normally.
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
- Flight time: 12,450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,968 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 1996; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 269° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from AMG, 40 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.