Boeing 737-200 incident near Cleveland, Ohio, April 17, 1988
On April 17, 1988 at about 11:02 pm local time, a Boeing 737-200, registered N433PE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Int'L Arpt airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people had minor injuries; 106 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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
- April 17, 1988 · about 11:02 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland Int'L Arpt
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 106 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-200 · all 737-200s on the register
- Registration
- N433PE · no longer on the register · serial 19886
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,110 hours in all; 154 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56,304 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 3, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 115,000 lb
- Seats: 130
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Airlines CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: EWR Newark NJ at 9:40 pm
- Destination: CLE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23L, 8,998 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 101 |
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.