Cessna A188 accident near Leola, South Dakota, June 16, 1983
On June 16, 1983 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna A188, registered N8181V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leola, South Dakota. 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 16, 1983 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Leola, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188 · all A188s on the register
- Registration
- N8181V · registry record · serial 188-0431
- 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 PLT WAS USING A GRAVEL ROAD, APRX 20 FT WIDE, FOR AN AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION. DURING TAKEOFF, THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT, WENT INTO THE DITCH BESIDE THE ROAD & WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PLT BELIEVED THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL HAD BECOME LOCKED. HOWEVER, AN EXAM OF THE WHEELS & BRAKES REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF GRABBING OR OVERHEATING. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH SPRAY BOOMS THAT WERE APRX 2 1/1 FEET ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE WHEELS. THERE WAS 3 FT TALL GRASS, AS WELL AS DITCHES, BESIDE THE ROAD, THE PLT HAD ATTEMPTED HIS TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH WITH A WIND FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 5, GUSTING 7 KTS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 995 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 809 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°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.