Event CEN25FA273

Factual narrative

On July 22, 2025, about 0930 central daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N2802J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Oregon, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. A company responsible for delivering and loading agricultural chemicals was loading the airplanes for the operator. According to the loader, the pilot arrived at the Ogle County Airport (C55), Mount Morris, Illinois about 0600 to start his workday. He completed five flights to a field about 5 miles northeast of C55 and upon returning to the airport, the pilot reported having an issue with the product dispersal system. The ground crew cleaned the spraybar screen while the airplane was idling. The pilot requested a partial load of chemical so that in the event the dispersal system did not function properly, he would not land with a heavy load. The loader filled the liquid chemical hopper with the requested amount, and the pilot departed about 0930. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the accident airplane in a “hard” left bank just over the top of standing corn, which stood about 8 ft tall. One witness reported that the airplane struck the powerline, impacted the ground nose first, bounced and immediately was engulfed in flames. The airplane skidded across a road and came to rest about 100 ft north of the initial impact point at the edge of a corn field. Cut powerlines were observed about 685 ft north of the departure end of runway 09 and portions were laid across the road. A utility pole was fractured and leaning in a north direction. A post-impact fire ensued. The airplane came to rest on its left side on about a 300° heading. Ground scars included blue paint transfer and a cut in the asphalt road about 2.5 in. deep, consistent with propeller blade contact. All structural components and flight control surfaces were located at the accident site. The left elevator balance horn displayed evidence of scoring from the asphalt surface of the road. A 12 – 18 in. section of the outboard leading edge of the right wing, including part of the outboard rib and composite wing tip was found near a section of cut powerlines about 100 ft south of the main wreckage and had witness marks consistent with a wire strike. The remaining portion of the right wing leading edge was thermally damaged. None of the installed wire cutters displayed evidence of wire strikes or arcing. Flight control cable continuity was established from the ailerons, elevators and rudder to the cockpit controls. The elevator trim control cable continuity was established from the trim tab to the forward chain in the cockpit that separated from the sprocket due to thermal damage. Flap control continuity was established from the flap handle to the pushrod attach structure on each flap. The flap handle position was found at full extension, however the actual flap position at the time of the accident could not be determined. The cockpit and inboard wing sections were thermally damaged. The cockpit and instrument panel were thermally damaged in the post impact fire. The emergency dump gate of the product dispersal system was thermally damaged. The gate door was thermally separated from its mounts; however, the hinges and door attach points were found in the closed position. The fuel system was thermally damaged and could not be tested. The fuel strainer and header tank were not observed in the wreckage. Both wing tanks were ruptured, and any remaining fuel was consumed by fire. A cursory examination of the engine was performed. The engine had been exposed to thermal damage. The top spark plugs were removed; the No. 2, 4, and 6 spark plugs were covered in oil due to the position of the engine. The plug electrodes were consistent with “worn out – normal” when compared to a Champion inspection chart. The fuel pump was removed and was unremarkable; the pump drive shaft was intact. The engine crankshaft was turned through by manually rotating the propeller which remained attached to the crankshaft; suction and compression were observed on all cylinders, and no internal binding was observed. Both magnetos remained attached to the engine. No spark was observed, however both magnetos had been exposed to thermal forces. The engine controls remained attached to the fuel control. A borescope examination of the cylinders, piston faces, valves and lower sparkplugs found no anomalies. The oil filter was removed and cut. The filter media was brittle and charred due to thermal forces, however no contaminants or particles were found. All three propeller blades exhibited bending, curling, and chord-wise scratches. Two blades exhibited S bending, and one blade had 8 in. of the tip bent back on itself with a fracture at the bend. The retaining rings for all three blades separated and two of the blades rotated freely in the hub. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for future examination. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12