Cessna A188B accident near Minidoka, Idaho, May 3, 2006
On May 3, 2006 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N8959G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minidoka, Idaho (Bear Trap airport). It was an aerial observation 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 failure to abort the takeoff. A berm at the end of the runway was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2006 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Minidoka, Idaho · Bear Trap · 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
- N8959G · no longer on the register · serial 188013330
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement the pilot reported that the airplane's engine sounded smooth, but was not as loud as "normal" during the takeoff roll. He reported that the tail was lifted from the runway surface at the "normal" point, but sufficient speed for takeoff was not obtained at the "normal" liftoff point. The pilot reported that, "After running the entire length" of the 2,200 ft grass strip he was able to liftoff, however he was unable to "sustain flight" and the aircraft collided with a 4-foot bank at the departure end of the runway. The aircraft came to rest approximately 100 yards from the departure end of the runway.
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: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,063 hours in all; 1,927 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1U0 Minidoka ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.