Piper PA-23-250 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, March 5, 1988
On March 5, 1988 at about 1:19 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N198CD, was destroyed in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cuyahoga County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 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
- March 5, 1988 · about 1:19 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cuyahoga County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N198CD · no longer on the register · serial 27 7654141
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPTD THAT BOTH ENGINES BEGAN TO SURGE SHORTLY AFTER T/O DURING CLIMB. THE ENGINES SUBSEQUENTLY LOST PWR COMPLETELY, AND THE PLT MADE A FORCED LDG IN TREES. POST-CRASH EXAM REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE IN THE INBD TANK POSITIONS. THE LT INBD TANK WAS FOUND TO BE EMPTY W/NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE PRESENT. THE RT INBD TANK WAS DESTROYED. THE LT OTBD TANK WAS ALMOST FULL, WHILE THE DAMAGED RT OTBD TANK WAS PARTIALLY FULL. EXAM OF THE ENGINES SEVERAL DAYS LATER REVEALED ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS OF FUEL. NO EVIDENCE OF WATER CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE PLT STATED THAT HE TOOKOFF WITH THE FUEL SELECTORS ON THE OTBD TANK POSITIONS AND SWITCHED TO THE INBD POSITIONS AFTER THE ENGINES BEGAN TO SURGE. THE OAT WAS ABOUT 20 DEG F.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,045 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 904 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1987; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: D. C. Holding Corporation
The flight
- Destination: CMH Columbus OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from CGF, 1 miles away
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.