Cessna A188B accident near Garwood, Texas, July 30, 2007
On July 30, 2007 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N9298R, was destroyed in an accident near Garwood, Texas. 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 maintain proper clearance from terrain/obstacles. A contributing factor was the runway conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2007 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garwood, Texas · 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
- N9298R · no longer on the register · serial 18802224T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,457-hour commercial pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped agricultural airplane while attempting to depart from a 2,400-foot long unimproved private grass airstrip. The pilot reported that while departing on a southerly heading he was "dodging pot holes and mud holes" on the airstrip. The spray booms under the wings became entangled with tall grass resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane exited the right side of the airstrip, the right wing collided with a fence post and the airplane "ran through a ditch." An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot, who confirmed the accident sequence. The inspector recorded structural damage. On the Airport Information block of the accident report form, the pilot categorized the runway as "dirt" and further described the condition of the runway as "holes," "rough," "soft," and "wet." At about 5 minutes after the mishap, the nearest weather reporting station, located 27-nautical miles to the south-east of the accident site, reported winds calm, visibility 5 statue miles with mist, temperature 84 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and barometric pressure of 29.93 inches of Mercury. The density altitude was calculated at 1,776 feet.
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
- Flight time: 1,457 hours in all; 348 in this make and model; 348 in the last 90 days; 348 in the last 30 days; 1,349 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,557.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2007
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Garwood TX
- Destination: Garwood TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:05 pm from ARM, 27 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.