Cessna 188 accident near Forrest City, Arkansas, March 24, 2002
On March 24, 2002 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N9454J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Forrest City, Arkansas (Thompson-Robbins 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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a light pole and power lines during an aerial application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2002 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Forrest City, Arkansas · Thompson-Robbins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N9454J · registry record · serial T18803808T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the first load of the day, the pilot circled the field to check for obstructions. After several spray passes, the pilot came to a small triangle area of the field, which he entered from south to north. Wires bordered the north end of the field. As he started to climb out of the field over a set of wires, the pilot reported that "I felt like I wasn't going to clear the wires." As he pushed the airplane's nose down to go under the wires, the right wheel clipped the top of a pole, and the top of the tail struck the bottom set of wires. After the pilot exited the field, another pilot in the area surveyed the airplane and reported the right wheel was "angled in slightly." Determining all controls were working properly, the pilot dispensed the remainder of his load, then proceeded to an alternate airport. Upon landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane exited the runway and came to a stop. When the pilot got out of the airplane he found that the top portion of the rudder had been severed by the wire strike.
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: 400 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 337 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,143 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 2002; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCY Forrest City AR at 12:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,000 ft by 96 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.