Cessna T188C accident near Ruleville, Mississippi, July 13, 1995
On July 13, 1995 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N2119J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ruleville, Mississippi (Cane Lake Aero airport). 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 pilot-in-command's failure to abort the takeoff when the aircraft accelerated slowly. Contributing to the accident was the over loading of the aircraft by ground personnel and the failure of the pilot-in-command to verify the loading of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1995 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ruleville, Mississippi · Cane Lake Aero · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2119J · registry record · serial T18803853T
- 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 did not check the amount of fertilizer that was loaded by ground personnel. During the takeoff roll the aircraft accelerated slowly. The pilot began to dump the fertilizer and continued the takeoff roll. When the aircraft reached the end of the runway it lifted off, cleared a ditch and then touched down in a rice field where it nosed over.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 6,428 hours in all; 4,913 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,354 as pilot in command; 110 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1994; 250 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:57 pm from GWO, 16 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.