Cessna T188C accident near Grand Island, Nebraska, August 1, 1991
On August 1, 1991 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N2872J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Island, Nebraska. 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 ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM CROPS DURING AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVERS. RELATED FACTORS ARE THE FAILURE OF A PROPELLER PITCH CHANGE MECHANISM AND THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1991 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Island, Nebraska
- 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
- N2872J · no longer on the register · serial T18803547T
- 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 PILOT STATED HE WAS MAKING A LOW PASS (ABOUT 4 FEET ABOVE THE CROPS) FOR PURPOSE OF AERIAL APPLICATION WHEN 'THE ENGINE SURGED....' WHEN HE LOOKED DOWN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE CROP. HE REPORTED 'THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS IN THE CORN, I PULLED BACK OUT OF IT, BUT THE INTAKE HAD INGESTED TOO MUCH CORN. THE ENGINE SEEMED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS...' THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A ROW OF CEDAR AND SETTLED INTO A CORN FIELD.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,125 hours in all; 404 in this make and model; 315 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 3,125 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSI0-520T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Prosser NE at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.