Cessna T188C accident near Mattawa, Washington, August 10, 1995
On August 10, 1995 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N9574J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mattawa, 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
A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1995 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Mattawa, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9574J · no longer on the register · serial T18803824T
- 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 REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVER. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO AN ADJACENT FIELD. DURING THE POSTCRASH INSPECTION, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. A 'FUZZY' SUBSTANCE WAS FOUND ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE FUEL MANIFOLD SCREEN. THE SUBSTANCE PARTIALLY COVERED THE SCREEN IN THE AREA WHERE FUEL WOULD NATURALLY CONCENTRATE AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE SCREEN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE REGARDING THE SUBSTANCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ENGINE OPERATION. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FREQUENTLY OPERATED DURING PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AT FULL POWER SETTINGS WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED.
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: 1,210 hours in all; 884 in this make and model; 1,151 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,879 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 1995; 375 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°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.
Other NTSB records under N9574J 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.