Cessna T188C accident near Rock Dell, Minnesota, July 15, 2000
On July 15, 2000 at about 8:56 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N9957J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rock Dell, Minnesota. 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 pilot to maintain clearance with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2000 · about 8:56 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Dell, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9957J · no longer on the register · serial T18803886T
- 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 aircraft was substantially damaged when it failed to clear crops on takeoff. In a written statement, the pilot stated, 'Took off from Austin at 3:30. Went to farm Hay field landed. Loaded plane with chemical (160 gal.) to spray a soybean field across the road. On the takeoff run got airborne but couldn't clear hill at end of field. Wind had died by then. Dumped part of the load but not soon enough. Tried to land in the field going up hill. Dirt was soft and plane veered left and nosed over and stopped.' Weather at Rochester, MN, reported at 1354, gave winds as 040 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1454 were 080 degrees at 8 knots. Winds reported 2 minutes prior to the accident were 060 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1654 were 090 degrees at 5 knots.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from RST
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 N9957J 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.