Dornier DO-228-201 incident near Springfield, Illinois, June 13, 1987
On June 13, 1987 at about 10:12 pm local time, a Dornier DO-228-201, registered N88FB, suffered minor damage in an incident near Springfield, Illinois. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1987 · about 10:12 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Illinois
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dornier DO-228-201
- Registration
- N88FB · registry record · serial 8088
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHTCREW EXPERIENCED INFLIGHT OPENING OF THE AFT BAGGAGE DOOR AND INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE CABIN STAIRWAY DOOR. THE COPILOT CHECKED THE DOORS ON THREE OCCASIONS BEFORE TAKEOFF BECAUSE THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAPTAIN INITIATED THE FLIGHT AFTER OPENING THE COCKPIT DOOR AND CHECKING THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR AND OBSERVING NOTHING NOTEWORTHY WHEN HE LOOKED AFT AT THE OTHER DOORS. THE DOOR WARNING SYSTEM OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE OPERATOR HAS AMENDED THEIR OPERATING PROCEDURES TO PREVENT SIMILAR OCCURRENCES.
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
What happened, in order
- AIRFRAME/COMPONENT/SYSTEM FAILURE/MALFUNCTION during descent - normal
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 2,880 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,439 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 11,400 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-5252D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fischer Bros. Aviation, INC.
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: M29 Mena AR at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°C, dew point 61°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from SPI, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N88FB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI87IA148.