Cessna A188B accident near White Lake, New York, June 3, 1982
On June 3, 1982 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near White Lake, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 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
- June 3, 1982 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- White Lake, New York
- 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
- N731BG · registry record · serial 18802763T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE RETURNING FROM A SPRAYING OPERATION, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, AND WITHIN SECONDS, IT LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, DITCHED THE AIRCRAFT IN A RESERVIOR. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FAILED FROM SUBSURFACE FATIGUE THROUGH THE #4 CRANKCHEEK.
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: 8,148 hours in all; 2,577 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 7,963 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,163 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSV at 8:10 am
- Destination: MSV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 149°F (65°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.