Cessna A188B accident near Mcgehee, Arkansas, July 14, 2003
On July 14, 2003 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4247Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcgehee, Arkansas (Mcgehee 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing. Contributing factors to the accident were the tailwind condition, the pilot's selection of the wrong runway on which to land and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2003 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mcgehee, Arkansas · Mcgehee Municipal Airport · 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
- N4247Y · no longer on the register · serial 188-02934T
- 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 airplane veered off the side of the runway while landing and impacted terrain. The pilot reported the airplane veered to the left of the centerline while landing on runway 36. The airplane contacted a ditch prior to coming to a stop. The pilot reported during a telephone interview that he knew he was landing with a 5 knot or better quartering tailwind. He stated that they typically land on runway 18. He stated he didn't know why they primarily used runway 18, it was just the "pattern that the other guys use." On a written form completed by the pilot, he reported the winds were from 180 degrees at 8 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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,482 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 1,125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,305 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 2003; 4 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7M1 Mcgehee AR at 2:15 pm
- Destination: 7M1 Mcgehee AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,007 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.