Piper PA-18A accident near Sandusky, Ohio, December 23, 1988
On December 23, 1988 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A, registered N1176D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandusky, Ohio (Griffing Sandusky 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
- December 23, 1988 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sandusky, Ohio · Griffing Sandusky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A · all PA-18As on the register
- Registration
- N1176D · no longer on the register · serial 18-6837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LANDED THE ACFT ON RWY 27 IN WINDS THAT HE ESTIMATED WERE FROM 240 DEG AT 10 TO 15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS. HE STATED THAT WHEN THE GROUNDSPEED HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 KTS, THE LEFT WING STARTED TO RAISE. HE APPLIED FULL POWER & THE ACFT LIFTED OFF THE GROUND; HOWEVER, IT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT, STRUCK SMALL TREES & SHRUBS, THEN CRASHED. THE PLT INDICATED THAT HIS LEFT KNEE MAY HAVE MOVED THE STICK TO THE RIGHT (CENTERING THE STICK) AS HE WAS REACHING FOR THE FLAP HANDLE DURING THE ROLL-OUT. APRX 35 MI EAST AT CLEVELAND, THE 1451 EST WIND WAS FROM 250 DEG AT 18 GUSTING 26 KTS.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,360 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,223 as pilot in command; 365 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,728 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1988; 198 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDZ Toledo OH at 7:00 pm
- Destination: CLE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,553 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from CLE, 35 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.