Cessna A188B accident near Morton, Texas, October 14, 1997
On October 14, 1997 at about 2:47 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731GY, was destroyed in an accident near Morton, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines while maneuvering 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
- October 14, 1997 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Morton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N731GY · no longer on the register · serial 18802896T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted power lines and the ground during a local aerial application flight. The flagger reported that the airplane had been spraying 'Roundup' defoliant on a cotton field east of the mishap site, using north-to-south-to-north passes. The airplane struck and severed the three top pole-mounted aluminum electrical cables spanning east to west at an approximately height of 35 feet above the ground. Physical evidence at the accident site indicates that the airplane impacted the ground on a measured heading of 176 degrees in a nose low attitude while in a slight right turn. Teardown examination of the engine and propeller were performed, and no defects were found that that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane. The pilot had been hired by the owner/operator approximately 2 weeks prior to the accident after the operator became ill.
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: 7,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,488 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D(26) (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: F85 at 2:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from LBB, 48 miles away
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.