Cessna T188C accident near Craigmont, Idaho, September 3, 2010
On September 3, 2010 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N9980J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Craigmont, Idaho (Craigmont airport). 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2010 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Craigmont, Idaho · Craigmont · 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 T18803909T
- 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 everything was normal after touchdown until the tailwheel contacted the ground and began to shimmy. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane subsequently veered toward the side and off the runway surface onto the grass. The airplane ground looped, and the right wing contacted the surface. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not identify any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 413 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 26, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,950 hours
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cja Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: S89 Craigmont ID at 4:30 pm
- Destination: S89 Craigmont ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KPUW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.