Cessna A188B accident near Big Sandy, Montana, June 24, 1999
On June 24, 1999 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna A188B, registered N4788Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Sandy, Montana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance between the wire and his aircraft. A transmission wire and downdraft were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1999 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Sandy, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4788Q · no longer on the register · serial 18802530T
- 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 he was pulling up from the end of an application run when the aircraft flew into a wire. The pilot stated that he knew that the aircraft was approaching the wire, but just as he initiated the pull-up to clear it, the aircraft encountered a downdraft. The pilot was unable to overcome the effects of the downdraft in time to clear the wire.
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 land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,902 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 1999; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D23 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3U8 MT at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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 N4788Q 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.