Cessna 188 accident near Patrick, South Carolina, October 10, 1998
On October 10, 1998 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N9890V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Patrick, South Carolina (Cheraw Municipal Airport). 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 the number 2 piston for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1998 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Patrick, South Carolina · Cheraw Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9890V · no longer on the register · serial 188-0140
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While enroute to the staging area, the engine began running rough and lost power. The pilot selected a dirt road for an emergency landing. During the landing, the left wing collided with a fence, the right wing collided with a dirt embankment, and the airplane veered to the right. The examination of the airplane disclosed that, there were two holes in the engine crankcase above the number 2 piston position. The engine teardown inspection revealed that the number 2 piston skirt had broken into several pieces. The engine was last overhauled 1284 hours before the accident. The recommended time between overhauls is 1200 hours. The engine examination also revealed that the undamaged internal engine components displayed normal operational action when the engine was rotated externally.
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: 3,050 hours in all; 2,096 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,361 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 1998; 203 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 47J Cheraw SC at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Observation at 3:14 pm from UDG, 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.