Cessna A188B accident near Ripley, Mississippi, November 8, 2009
On November 8, 2009 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N9368G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Ripley, Mississippi (Ripley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 adequate airspeed on final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was a partial loss of engine power due to water in the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2009 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ripley, Mississippi · Ripley Airport · 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
- N9368G · no longer on the register · serial 18801460
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane before starting the engine and letting it warm up for about 5 minutes. He then back-taxied on the runway and performed the run-up checklist before taking off. He subsequently flew the traffic pattern and was on final approach, at an altitude of about 500 feet, when the engine lost power about 250 feet from the end of the runway. The airplane then “went into a right hand dive and hit the ground.” A witness heard the engine “sputter and pop loudly,” and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector subsequently found water in the fuel. Propeller signatures indicated that it was turning under power when it contacted the ground.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 394 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 315 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,765 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2009; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,119 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 25M Ripley MS at 2:50 pm
- Destination: 25M Ripley MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:01 pm from TUP, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.