Cessna A188B accident near Palouse, Washington, March 25, 2004
On March 25, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N731YZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palouse, Washington. 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 decision to takeoff downwind resulting in his inability to achieve a positive climb rate and an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors contributing to the accident included the rising terrain and the tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palouse, Washington · 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
- N731YZ · no longer on the register · serial 18803274T
- 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 departed runway 22 with a light quartering tailwind from a private airstrip in an area where the terrain was comprised of gently rolling hills. Unable to climb, the pilot started a gradual turn to the right to avoid rising terrain, and at the same time opened the dump gate to lighten his load. The airplane touched down on a hill at the end of the runway, bounced back into the air and landed going up the next hill at the end of the runway. The airplane then ground looped damaging its right wing. A 0753, a weather reporting facility located 7 nautical miles south of the accident site reported wind 080 degrees at 14 knots. At 0853, the same weather reporting facility reported wind 100 degrees at 17 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
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: 1,153 hours in all; 60 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 6, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dales Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: Palouse WA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 343°F (173°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PUW, 7 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.
Other NTSB records under N731YZ 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.