Cessna A188B accident near Greenwood, Mississippi, September 30, 1997
On September 30, 1997 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731RP, was destroyed in an accident near Greenwood, Mississippi. 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
The intentional operation of the airplane from an unsuitable takeoff area by the pilot-in-command and inadvertent rotation of the airplane after encountering rising terrain on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1997 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Mississippi · 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
- N731RP · registry record · serial 18803098T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll with a rise in the runway that the pilot was previously aware of, the airplane became airborne prematurely. He initiated dumping of the chemical and attempted to climb but the airplane collided with a tree 200 feet past the departure end of the runway. The airplane then impacted the ground and the right main landing gear was sheared off after contacting a ditch. The airplane then became inverted and was destroyed by a post crash fire. The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that he and the owner were planning on repairing the runway and clearing the trees at the end of the spraying season. He further stated that there was no airframe or engine preimpact failure or malfunction.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,044 hours in all; 4,700 in this make and model; 400 in the last 90 days; 125 in the last 30 days; 8,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,983 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,640 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GWO, 3 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.