Cessna 172 accident near Greenville, South Carolina, June 29, 1988
On June 29, 1988 at about 11:40 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7392A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, South Carolina (Donaldson Center 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
- June 29, 1988 · about 11:40 am local time
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Donaldson Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7392A · no longer on the register · serial 29492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON A PRACTICE SHORT FIELD APCH, SIMULATING A 50' OBSTACLE. THE CFI RPRTD THAT AS THE ACFT CAME OVER THE THRESHOLD AT ABOUT 40' AGL, THE AIRSPEED WAS 60 MPH & THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 40 DEG. THE STUDENTREDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE, ESTABLISHED A HIGH SINK RATE & FLARED JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE ACFT LANDED HARD & BOUNCED. AFTER BOUNCING TWICE, THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO ADD POWER. THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER & ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND, BUT THE ACFT CLIMBED ONLY 10 TO 15 FT, THEN THE LEFT WING DROPPED & THE ACFT CRASHED BESIDE THE RWY. THE STUDENT SAID THIS WAS THE 1ST TIME HE TRIED A SHORT FIELD LANDING & THAT HE HAD NO PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATION. THE CFI HAD ONLY 397 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 397 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 277 as pilot in command; 80 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,280 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 1987; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU at 11:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:46 am from GMU, 10 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.