Cessna 177 accident near Milford, Delaware, May 29, 1988
On May 29, 1988 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N35253, was destroyed in an accident near Milford, Delaware (Milford Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- May 29, 1988 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Milford, Delaware · Milford Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N35253 · registry record · serial 17702292
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THE LANDING APCH WAS TOO FAST AND THE ACFT BOUNCED ON TOUCHDOWN. THE PLT STABILIZED THE ACFT AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN, HOWEVER, THE ACFT BOUNCED AGAIN. HAVING USED OVER HALF THE RWY BY THIS TIME, THE PLT ELECTED TO ABORT THE LANDING BY ADDING FULL POWER AND RETRACTING THE FLAPS. THE ACFT FLEW OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY AND THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED A POST. IT THEN TRAVELED ACROSS A 4-LANE HWY WHERE IT CONTACTED A CONCRETE POST IN A HOTEL PARKING LOT AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.
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: 86 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,114 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1987; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N76 Annville PA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,340 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.