Cessna 172N accident near Madison, Indiana, January 27, 1987
On January 27, 1987, a Cessna 172N, registered N4688D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Indiana (Madison Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- January 27, 1987
- Place
- Madison, Indiana · Madison Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4688D · no longer on the register · serial 17272331
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT APRX 2500 MSL, THE ENG STOPPED AND ATTEMPTS TO RESTART IT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT THE ACFT STRUCK POWERLINES AND A TELEPHONE POLE BEFORE NOSING OVER AND COMING TO REST. THE ENG WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AND SUBSEQUENT TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR TEETH WERE SHEARED. APRX 140 HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, A REPAIR STATION HAD RE-NITRIDED THE CRANKSHAFT FOLLOWING RE-GRINDING OPERATIONS, HOWEVER, THE PRESSED ON TYPE GEAR WAS NOT REMOVED, AS REQUIRED, PRIOR TO RE-NITRIDING. SPECIFICATIONS STATE THAT THE GEAR SHOULD HAVE A MIN ROCKWELL HARDNESS OF 30N-77 AND THAT ANY TEMP IN EXCESS OF 300 DEGREES F WOULD AFFECT THE HARDNESS. WHEN TESTED, THE GEAR EXHIBITED A ROCKWELL HARDNESS OF 30N-39. THE TEMP REQUIRED FOR NITRIDING IS IN EXCESS OF 985 DEGREES F.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 17,260 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 15,559 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,537 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1986; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: H.F.G., INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IMS Madison IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N4688D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.