The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB ATL99LA101 · Final report

Cessna A188B accident near Glen Allan, Mississippi, June 19, 1999

On June 19, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N53198, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glen Allan, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 improper installation of a nut and bolt assembly by a maintenance personnel that resulted in the in-flight loss of control of the left ailiron.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
June 19, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
Place
Glen Allan, Mississippi · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
Registration
N53198 · no longer on the register · serial 18801677T
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot reported that, while surveying a field for future work, the airplane became uncontrollable. He selected an emergency landing area, and made a forced landing in a field. The airplane sustained structural damage during the forced landing when the left wing collided with the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled. During the examination of the airplane, the pilot reported that the left aileron control bolt had separated from the control surface. When the left aileron was removed from the airframe, the missing bolt was recovered from the inter-structure of the wing area. The bolt was reinstalled through the aileron assembly, and appeared to provide enough thread material to secure the aileron assembly. The examination of the bolt assembly also disclosed that the bolt that connected the forward end of the control rod to the bell crank was too short and did not protrude through the nylon lock on the nut. The rod-end bearing was also seized and would not move.

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: single-engine land
  • Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
  • Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
  • Seat: ctr

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 4,342 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1999; 49 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: MS at 6:55 pm
  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 0

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
  • Visibility: 7 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; clear
  • Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
  • Observation at 6:50 pm from GLH

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1

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.