Piper PA-38-112 accident near Painesville, Ohio, April 14, 1988
On April 14, 1988 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N91371, was destroyed in an accident near Painesville, Ohio (Concord airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- April 14, 1988 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Painesville, Ohio · Concord · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N91371 · registry record · serial 3881A0167
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI REPORTED THAT WHILE PERFORMING A SIMULATED SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND SETTLED INTO THE TREES. THE CFI HELD HIS CERTIFICATE FOR ONE MONTH AND THE STUDENT PLT HAD LOGGED JUST OVER FIFTY HOURS. THIS AIRPORT WAS NOT APPROVED FOR USE BY CFI'S EMPLOYED BY THE OPERATOR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 888 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 808 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,176 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 13, 1987; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airspect Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: AKR Akron OH at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 2,200 ft by 45 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from CGF, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.