Cessna 188 accident near Pataskala, Ohio, September 25, 1996
On September 25, 1996 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N3619J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pataskala, Ohio. 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
deterioration and fuel leakage from an engine fuel hose (with a service life that had been exceed, due to inadequate maintenance), which resulted in an engine compartment fire and subsequent damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1996 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pataskala, Ohio · 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
- N3619J · registry record · serial T18803655T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While at 500 feet AGL, en route for an aerial application mission, the pilot noticed a slight loss of power and that fuel flow was below normal. He performed emergency procedures, which did not increase the fuel flow. The pilot started a turn, and about 10 seconds later, the engine completely lost power. The pilot discharged his load of seed to extend his glide, and observed that the engine cowling paint start to blister and smoke. The pilot completed a forced landing in an open field, where the airplane continued to burn. Examination of the wreckage revealed a leaking fuel hose in the engine compartment. The hose was stamped with a date denoting the first quarter of 1984 (1Q84). The airplane service manual stated that fluid carrying hoses in the engine compartment should be replaced during engine overhaul or every 5 years, whichever occurred first. The hose was installed 6 years and 7 months before the accident.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,393 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 400 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 15,253 as pilot in command; 3,524 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,006 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 1996; 358 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4I9 OH at 7:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N3619J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.