Cessna A188B accident near Eudora, Arkansas, May 14, 1991
On May 14, 1991 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731NA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eudora, Arkansas (Ward 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S EXCEEDING THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY FOR THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1991 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eudora, Arkansas · Ward · 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
- N731NA · registry record · serial 18803014T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN UNIMPROVED AIRSTRIP THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT LIFT OFF AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DUMP HIS LOAD OF CHEMICALS TO LIGHTEN THE AIRPLANE FOR THE TAKEOFF. THE AIR INTAKE FOR THE DUMP MECHANISM WAS FOULED BY GRASS AND BRUSH. THE PILOT STATED AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 'HOT' AND THE AIRPLANE FELT 'HEAVY.'
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: 8,400 hours in all; 6,500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,600 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 91°F (33°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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW91DPG07.