Cessna A188B accident near Hardin, Montana, March 28, 1984
On March 28, 1984 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N92593, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hardin, Montana (Fairgrounds 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 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 1984 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hardin, Montana · Fairgrounds · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N92593 · registry record · serial 18802067
- 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 RETURNED TO THE ARPT WITH ABOUT A 100 GAL LOAD OF SPRAY SOLUTION ON BOARD WHEN THE FLAGGER WOULD NOT WORK. DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT & THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE GEAR OR BRAKES WAS FOUND. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS CALM.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,340 hours in all; 425 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,646 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 27, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 3,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from BIL, 55 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN84LA118.