Cessna 188 accident near Senath, Missouri, June 19, 2005
On June 19, 2005, a Cessna 188, registered N9778G, was destroyed in an accident near Senath, Missouri. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the tower guy wires. A factor was the extra antenna guy wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2005
- Place
- Senath, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9778G · no longer on the register · serial 18801603
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The agricultural spray airplane was destroyed by ground impact and post impact fire after it hit a guy wire of a 1,040 foot radio tower antenna located near the cotton field the pilot was about to spray. A witness reported that he heard the airplane flying in the area and then he heard an explosion. He made a 911 emergency call, and then went outside and observed the tower falling to the ground. The inspection of the airplane revealed impact marks on the mid-span of the left wing, which were consistent with a wire strike. The propeller also exhibited gouging and scraping marks that were consistent with a wire strike. Witnesses reported that the pilot conducted a map study of the area to be sprayed since it was a "sensitive" area due to honeybees and homes near the cotton field that required spraying. The Memphis Sectional Aeronautical Chart the pilot used depicted the 1,040-foot tower. There were three sets of guy wires that anchored the tower. The three sets of guy wires were anchored at 120-degree intervals around the base of the tower. The bases of the guy wire anchors were about 425 feet from the base of the tower. An extra guy wire supported the tower. The anchor for the extra guy wire was located about 729 feet from the base of the tower in the southeast corner field where the tower was located. The FAA Advisory Circular AC 70/7460-1K, "Obstruction Marking and Lighting" advises that a pilot should maintain 2,000 feet horizontal clearance for a 2,000-foot tall tower to avoid all guy wires.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 37M Hornersville MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from JBR, 22 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.