Cessna 188 accident near Sublette, Kansas, August 19, 1994
On August 19, 1994 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N133MC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sublette, Kansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper preflight planning by the pilot. Factors associated with the accident were the delayed jettisoning of the airplane's hopper load and the inability of the airplane to climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1994 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Sublette, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N133MC · registry record · serial 188019147
- 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 LOADED THE AIRPLANE WITH 900 POUNDS OF WHEAT SEED. HE SAID THE TAKEOFF REQUIRED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PASTURE RUNWAY TO GET AIRBORNE. THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE AND THE PILOT SAID THE LOAD WAS NOT JETTISONED FAST ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM COLLIDING WITH AN IRRIGATION SPRINKLER AND THE GROUND.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1994; 250 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 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
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:20 pm from GCK, 26 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.