Cessna T188C accident near Flora, Mississippi, October 8, 1988
On October 8, 1988 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N2896J, was destroyed in an accident near Flora, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1988 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Flora, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2896J · no longer on the register · serial T18803571T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DISPENSING A CHEMICAL LOAD, THE PLT WAS RTRNG TO RE-LOAD WHEN THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. HE SAID HE NOTED THE FUEL FLOW WAS ERRATIC, SO HE TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP. THE ENG STABILIZED MOMENTARILY, THEN SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT & THE ENG BEGAN SURGING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DRG AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE SHOULDERHARNESS FAILED AS THE ACFT WENT OVER ON ITS NOSE DRG THE LANDING, BUT THE LAP BELT HELD. AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO REST, THE PLT EVACUATED THE PLANE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. AN EXAM REVEALED A HOLE IN THE EXHAUST PIPE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENG. THE HOLE WAS NEAR THE EGT PROBE; IT ALLOWED GASES TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD FUEL LINES & ELEC WIRES. THE MODE OF SHOULDER HARNESS FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED SINCE IT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.
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: 3,946 hours in all; 2,900 in this make and model; 320 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 3,946 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,854 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 3, 1988; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from JAN, 18 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.