Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Charleston, West Virginia, August 31, 1988
On August 31, 1988 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N15948, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, West Virginia (Charleston/Yeager 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- August 31, 1988 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · Charleston/Yeager · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15948 · no longer on the register · serial 7335110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS EXECUTING THE ILS RWY 5 APCH WHEN HE ENTERED FOG ABOUT 350 FT ABOVE THE DH. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, UPON REACHING THE DH HE SIGHTED THE RWY AND CONTINUED THE APCH. AFTERWARD THE PLT SAID HE DEVIATED LEFT OF THE LOCALIZER CENTERLINE AND AS HE WAS TURNING BACK TO IT HE INADVERTENTLY DESCENDED BELOW THE GLIDE SLOPE AND STRUCK A TREE. THE TREE WAS ABOUT 300 FT LEFT OF THE RWY, ABOUT 50 FT BELOW IT, AND ABOUT 300 FT PAST THE RWY THRESHOLD. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO REMAIN AIRBORNE AND LANDED ABOUT 2000 FT DOWN THE RWY WHERE IT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF IT. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT ABOUT 12 INCHES OF THE LEFT WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE WAS PUSHED BACK TO THE SPAR AS A RESULT OF THE TREE STRIKE. THE ENTIRE LEFT WING WAS TWISTED DOWN ABOUT 30 DEGREES. DURING THE LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 195 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,632 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 3, 1988; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CKB Bridgeport WV at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 6,302 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:30 pm from CRW
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.