Cessna 188B N731BQ

Summary

On 31 October 1996 at about 16:50 local time, a Cessna 188B registered N731BQ, operated by Ronald L. Harper, was involved in an accident near Ocilla, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 October 1996 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocilla, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

31.5896, -83.2408

Aircraft

Cessna 188B

Registration

N731BQ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ronald L. Harper

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL97LA016

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately preflight and plan the fuel required for the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power as he maneuvered for a swath run. The pilot selected a cotton field adjacent to the field that he was spraying for the forced landing. The examination of the airframe and the engine assembly failed to disclose a mechanical problem. No fuel was recovered from the aircraft fuel system; however, the fuel bladder was damaged and a small quantity of fuel was reportedly spilled in the bottom of the wing assembly. According to the Cessna 188B flight manual, two gallons of fuel are unusable in the aircraft fuel system. During a functional check of the engine assembly, the engine started and operated normally.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.