Aero Commander 112 accident near Middlefield, Ohio, August 28, 1987
On August 28, 1987 at about 1:09 am local time, a Aero Commander 112, registered N1050J, was destroyed in an accident near Middlefield, Ohio. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1987 · about 1:09 am local time
- Place
- Middlefield, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 112 · all 112s on the register
- Registration
- N1050J · no longer on the register · serial 50
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE PREVIOUS FLT, THE PLT MADE TWO UNSUCCESSFUL IFR APPROACHES BEFORE LANDING ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT. THE PAX- CONFIGURED ACFT WAS LOADED WITH CARGO. THE PLT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED THE ARPT. RADIO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ATC AND THE PLT REQUESTED ACTIVATION OF HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN. ATC COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE ACFT DUE TO NONRECEIPT OF THE TRANSPONDER. THE PLT WAS ASKED TO RESET THE CODE. THAT WAS THE LAST CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. IT WAS FOUND TWO DAYS LATER ABOUT ONE AND ONE HALF MILES FROM THE ARPT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. UNRESTRAINED CARGO WAS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE FUSELAGE. THE PLT HAD BEEN ASKED TO MAINTAIN VFR UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. RADAR CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED. THE WT & BAL COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO MOVEMENT OF CARGO. RECOVERED CARGO INDICATED AN OVER GW CONDITION. THE TIME OF THE CARGO MOVEMENT IN THE ACFT WAS NOT DETERMINED BUT BELIEVED TO BE POSTCRASH.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,048 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,794 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1987; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7G8 Middlefield OH at 1:05 am
- Destination: Dayton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.