Cessna A188B accident near Gardner, Florida, August 10, 2008
On August 10, 2008 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4494Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Gardner, Florida (Bradley Airport). 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 pilot's misjudged distance/altitude during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2008 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Gardner, Florida · Bradley Airport · 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
- N4494Q · no longer on the register · serial 18800894
- 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 of the Cessna A188B, departed from a private grass field with approximately 100 gallons of agricultural chemicals on board for an aerial application flight. He stated that on departure he "did not pull up fast enough" and felt a "jolt" when the right main landing gear impacted a 4-foot-high gate post, later discovering that the landing gear had been sheared. He then pressed on the brake pedals to see if his brakes were operational; however, there was no pressure and "the pedal went to the floor." He applied his chemical load to the field in order to decrease his landing weight and then flew to an airport with a longer runway, assuming he had no brakes. Immediately after the airplane touched down it "broke to the right," and impacted a fence damaging the wing spar. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO 520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Fort White FL at 6:32 pm
- Destination: FD40 Gardner FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,000 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PGD, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N4494Q 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.