Cessna A188B accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana, August 7, 1996
On August 7, 1996 at about 10:50 am local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N92917, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana (Liddieville 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 airspeed and altitude/clearance during the takeoff. A factor was the density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1996 · about 10:50 am local time
- Place
- Winnsboro, Louisiana · Liddieville · 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
- N92917 · no longer on the register · serial 188-020755
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on the first takeoff of the day in the early dawn. The winds were calm, with a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and the airplane was at a gross weight of 3,510 pounds (maximum gross weight 4,400 pounds). After breaking ground from the 2,200 foot airstrip, 'the airplane climbed to about 12 feet AGL and started settling.' The pilot added that the airplane 'entered dead air and sank into ground effect.' The main wheels caught in the corn plants at the departure end of the runway, resulting in a sudden deceleration and subsequent descent to the ground. Inspection of the accident site revealed that the airplane traveled for approximately 20 feet after impacting the corn field. The pilot stated that the engine was performing 'normally and there were no flight control problems.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 35,000 hours in all; 20,000 in this make and model; 3,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,920 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1996; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-540-51A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.