Cessna A188B accident near Humboldt, Tennessee, May 30, 2001
On May 30, 2001 at about 9:42 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4893R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Humboldt, Tennessee (Humboldt Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 directional control of the aircraft during the landing rollout, resulting in a ground loop/ground swerve and substantial damage to the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2001 · about 9:42 pm local time
- Place
- Humboldt, Tennessee · Humboldt Municipal · 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
- N4893R · no longer on the register · serial 18802411T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner said that the pilot was being checked out on his aircraft, and while landing the aircraft, it ground looped 180-degrees, and the side load imparted to the tail section ripped the tailwheel off the empennage at the attach points, bending the bulkhead. The pilot stated that the accident occurred when directional control was lost during the landing rollout, resulting in a slow right turn during which the airplane exited the runway, and stopped about 20 feet from the runway edge, in the opposite direction. According to the pilot, there had been no previous mechanical failure or malfunction with the aircraft, or any of its systems, prior to 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 29, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,139 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2001; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Cont IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M53 Humboldt TN at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 4,003 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:42 pm from MKL, 25 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.