Cessna 188B accident near Cimarron, Kansas, July 30, 1996
On July 30, 1996 at about 12:35 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N441Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cimarron, Kansas (Cimmaron Municipal 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
the pilot's failure to make a timely decision to abort the takeoff or dump the payload.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1996 · about 12:35 pm local time
- Place
- Cimarron, Kansas · Cimmaron Municipal · map
- 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
- N441Q · no longer on the register · serial 18800841
- 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 reported that he conducted a runup and initiated a takeoff to the south. Near the end of the takeoff run, he realized that he was 'not up to good speed' and 'the power indication was normal.' In his accident report, the pilot wrote that he was carrying a payload of 165 gallons of agricultural chemicals. The 'airplane appeared to be running normally at first, then lost partial power.' The airplane 'did not get airborne' and impacted a ditch at the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear and wings. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the pilot did not dump the payload. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear and wings. No evidence of preimpact malfunction was reported.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,225 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8K8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,750 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from GCK, 20 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.