Cessna 172M accident near Hilton Head Is., South Carolina, October 30, 1988
On October 30, 1988 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N1275U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hilton Head Is., South Carolina. 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
- October 30, 1988 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hilton Head Is., South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1275U · no longer on the register · serial 17266970
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. A FORCED LDG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE IN A SWAMP NEAR THE ARPT. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING ROLLOUT. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE OUTER CASING HAD BECOME BRITTLE AND DISINTEGRATED, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL. CRACKS WERE VISIBLE ON REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE OUTER CASING. EXAM OF THE ACFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD UNDERGONE A 100 HR INSPECTION 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT OPERATING TIME SINCE THE INSPECTION WAS ABOUT 47 HRS. FURTHER EXAM OF THE LOGBOOKS REVEALED NO ENTRIES PERTAINING TO THE REMOVAL OR REPLACEMENT OF THE CABLE SINCE THE ACFT WAS NEW. TOTAL TIME ON THE ACFT WAS 3,939 HRS, BASED ON TACH TIME. 14 CFR 43, APPENDIX D REQUIRES THAT ENGINE CONTROLS BE INSPECTED FOR DEFECTS DURING 100 HR INSPECTIONS.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 124 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,939 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 30, 1988; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 49J Hilton Head Is. SC at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 3J1 Ridgeland SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.