Cessna 188B N21689

Summary

On 25 September 2002 at about 21:10 local time, a Cessna 188B registered N21689, operated by Wayne Aerial Crop Spraying, was involved in an accident near Pikesville, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 September 2002 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Pikesville, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.4497, -77.8497

Aircraft

Cessna 188B

Registration

N21689

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wayne Aerial Crop Spraying

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goldsboro → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02CA174

1 person had minor injuries.

The inability of the pilot to see the .250 inch diameter unmarked cable resulting in the in-flight collision with the cable and substantial damage to the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was contracted to spray the Wayne Company Wildlife Club Pond which was dry and he surveyed the area on the day of the accident noting obstacles around the lake. After surveying the area he returned to where the airplane was based, loaded chemicals into the hopper tank, and departed. He reported that he sprayed all the big parts of the lake and proceeded to spray all the small parts of the lake (bends, coves, etc). While he was spraying one of the coves, he observed just before impact a 1/4 inch diameter cable that was stretched across the coves; the cable was approximately 15-20 feet above ground level. The tail wheel of the airplane collided with the cable which separated from one of the ends where it was connected to a tree. The flight continued and the cable wrapped around the tail damaging the elevator flight controls, vertical stabilizer, and right elevator. The flight continued and the airplane crashed in a corn field. The pilot advised the FAA inspector that there was no airframe or engine malfunction prior to the cable strike. Examination of the accident site and the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed that the airplane collided with a .250 inch diameter unmarked cable that stretched between two trees of the southeast cove; the cable remained secured to one of the trees. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were separated, and the forward spar of the vertical stabilizer was fractured. The rear spar of the vertical stabilizer was not fractured.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.