Cessna A188B N53212

Summary

On 2 April 1997 at about 22:35 local time, a Cessna A188B registered N53212 was involved in an accident near Waynesboro, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 April 1997 at 22:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Waynesboro, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Burke County (BXG)

Coordinates

33.0897, -82.0108

Aircraft

Cessna A188B

Registration

N53212

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL97LA056

1 person died.

The failure of the right wing after the pilot exceeded the design stress limit of the airplane, leading to a loss of control in flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was attempting to spray a wheat field which was 4 1/2 miles south of the departure airport. It crashed in a heavily wooded area 1 mile south of the wheat field. According to the Cessna investigator, the airplane was within the center of gravity and weight limits. The Cessna representative also reported the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were separated from the main wreckage. He also believed the flaps were extended one notch. Further examination of the wreckage showed the right wing was fractured along the chord line from the leading edge to the rear spar. This occurred at the rib inboard of the strut attachment point on the wing. Aft of the rear spar, the wing panel exhibited 45 degree buckling on either side of the fracture. The top cap of the front spar exhibited double bending; the outboard bend was down, and the inboard bend was up. At the inboard bend, the spar was fractured. The fracture had a 45 degree bevel and no shear lips, consistent with a tensile overload failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.