Cessna 188B accident near Campbell Hill, Illinois, June 23, 1983
On June 23, 1983 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N731KY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Campbell Hill, Illinois. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1983 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Campbell Hill, Illinois
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N731KY · no longer on the register · serial 18802965T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKING OFF FROM A HAUL ROAD, WHICH WAS BEING USED AS AN AIRSTRIP, THE ACFT BEGAN CLIMBING. AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THE PLT NOTED A LOSS OF POWER (THRUST) AS THE ENG BEGAN TO OVERSPEED. THE PLT LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPEED & DUMPED HIS LOAD, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE ACFT HAD FLOWN OUT OVER A SLURRY POND. SUBSEQUENTLY, DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON SOFT, SANDY TERRAIN & NOSED OVER. AN EXAM OF THE PROPELLER (PROP) REVEALED THAT BOTH ACTUATING LINKS HAD FAILED. WEAR WAS NOTED ON THE OUTER SEMICIRCULAR SECTIONS OF ONE LINK, WHILE THE ABSENCE OF WEAR WAS NOTED ON THE OTHER. THE PROP HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR 384 HRS SINCE IT WAS OVERHAULED.
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: 4,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 1982; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°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.