Cessna A188B accident near Hondo, Texas, September 6, 2010
On September 6, 2010 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731PQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Hondo, Texas. It was a personal 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 delayed action to arrest the airplane’s descent, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2010 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hondo, Texas · 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
- N731PQ · no longer on the register · serial 18803051T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The agricultural pilot arrived at a field for an aerial application flight. After two successful passes, he approached a static wire that was about 100 feet above ground level. Once clear of the wire the pilot descended toward the crop surface and attempted to level the airplane. He could not arrest the descent in time and the airplane’s landing gear contacted the crop, separating the right main landing gear from the fuselage. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted the ground and slid to a stop in an upright position, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,744 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 500 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,120 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,876 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Torkelson Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: CVB Castroville TX at 3:35 pm
- Destination: CVB Castroville TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Observation at 3:25 pm from CVB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.