Cessna A188B accident near Rayville, Louisiana, August 27, 1985
On August 27, 1985 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731LX, was destroyed in an accident near Rayville, Louisiana (Covington 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1985 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rayville, Louisiana · Covington · 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
- N731LX · no longer on the register · serial 18802988T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN A COTTON FLD DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT WHICH OCCURRED ON TAKEOFF. THE PLT WAS TEST FLYING THE ACFT IN ANTICIPATION OF POSSIBLY PURCHASING IT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT WHEN APRX 1/2 THE WAY DOWN THE RWY THE ACFT DID NOT APPEAR AS THOUGH IT WOULD CLEAR TREES AT THE END OF THE RWY. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF AND DUMP THE 110 GALLON LOAD OF WATER ON BOARD. UPON CROSSING THE END OF THE RWY AT AN ALT OF 10 TO 20 FT AGL, THE PLT INITIATED A TURN TO AVOID THE TREES. DURING THE TURN THE PLT INTENDED TO DUMP THE LOAD, BUT HE INADVERTANTLY DEPLOYED THE FLAPS. THE ACFT HEN SETTLED INTO THE COTTON FLD. THE ACFT OWNER STATED THE PLT WAS BRIEFED ON TAKEOFF DISTANCES AND THE ACFT PERFORMANCE, HOWEVER, HE FAILED TO USE ALL AVAILABLE RWY FOR THE TAKEOFF.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,782 hours in all; 1,012 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,864 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,274 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1985; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.