Cessna A-188B N731CZ

Summary

On 23 February 1995 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna A-188B registered N731CZ, operated by William & Margret Joslin, was involved in an accident near Elmira, California, 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

23 February 1995 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Elmira, California, United States

Coordinates

38.3600, -121.9104

Aircraft

Cessna A-188B

Registration

N731CZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William & Margret Joslin

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA118

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft after an inadvertent encounter with the wake turbulence from a preceding agricultural aircraft while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT COMPLETED HIS SECOND SWATH RUN AND ROLLED INTO A 90-270 DEGREE TURN AT ABOUT 100-FEET AGL. AFTER ROLLING FROM THE LEFT BACK TO THE RIGHT, HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTER AN AREA OF TURBULENT AIR. BELIEVING THAT HE HAD INADVERTENTLY FLOWN ACROSS THE VORTEX TURBULENCE GENERATED BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA, HE SAID THE TURBULENCE CAUSED HIS AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND AND THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND BEFORE HE COULD REACT AND RECOVER. THE PILOT STATED, THAT AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT'S GROSS WEIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,700 POUNDS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.