Cessna 188A accident near Harrisonville, Missouri, May 21, 1993
On May 21, 1993 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 188A, registered N4426Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harrisonville, Missouri (Lawrence Smith Memorial 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
PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER CLIMB.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1993 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Harrisonville, Missouri · Lawrence Smith Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188A · all 188As on the register
- Registration
- N4426Q · no longer on the register · serial 18800826
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT TOOK OFF FROM HARRISONVILLE, MO. AIRPORT ON AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. WEIGHT WAS CALCULATED AS 3950 POUNDS. MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT IS 4000 POUNDS. AFTER TAKE OFF, PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH TREES.
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: 640 hours in all; 371 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 574 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,369 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 23, 1993; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MO85 at 9:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from GVW, 19 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.