Cessna T188C accident near Hooper, Utah, May 30, 1996
On May 30, 1996 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N9980J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hooper, Utah. 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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: the proximity of obstructions, which limited the pilot's ability to reach a suitable emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1996 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hooper, Utah · 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
- N9980J · no longer on the register · serial T1880390T
- 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 while maneuvering for an aerial application run at about 100 feet above ground level, the airplane started to sink and that he added power, but the engine did not respond. The pilot attempted to avoid obstructions, but the airplane subsequently struck a fence and crashed into a cultivated area. Witnesses reported 'sputter', 'back fire [sic]', and 'cutting in and out' noises from the engine. Postaccident examination revealed little to no damage to the three propeller blades. The pilot reported that he took off with full fuel and that the accident occurred 10 minutes after takeoff. Fuel was found in one of the two interconnected main tanks at the crash scene; the other main tank was empty, but the wing containing that tank was substantially damaged. In a postaccident test run, the engine operated successfully with normal fuel pressure and turbocharger operation, after the electric boost pump was primed. After the boost pump was subsequently turned off, the engine continued to run normally, using the engine-driven fuel pump.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,714 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 1996; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 1:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.
Other NTSB records under N9980J 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.