Cessna A188B accident near Fort Benton, Montana, June 15, 1989
On June 15, 1989 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4971Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Benton, Montana (Pvt Strip 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
FAILURE OF THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY ATTACHING BOLTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1989 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Benton, Montana · Pvt Strip · 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
- N4971Q · no longer on the register · serial 18802705T
- 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 RPRTD THAT WHILE LANDING, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE BOLTS THAT HELD THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY TO THE FUSELAGE. THE TAILWHEEL THEN SWIVELED & THE ACFT GROUNDLOOPED. THE PLT NOTED THAT THE BOLTS HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO HEAVY FORCES DURING OPERATIONS ON ROUGH, DIRT, AG OPERATING AREAS.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,650 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 170 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command; 220 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1989; 183 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Taylor Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°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.