Cessna 172M accident near Alexandria, Indiana, April 25, 1988
On April 25, 1988 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80269, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alexandria, Indiana (Alexandria airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- April 25, 1988 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Alexandria, Indiana · Alexandria · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80269 · registry record · serial 17266487
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ENGINE OPERATION WHILE ON FINAL, FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE ON LANDING ROLLOUT. PILOT NOTICED SMOKE ENTERING COCKPIT DURING RESTART ATTEMPT. AIRCRAFT WAS EVACUATED BY PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS. THERE WAS AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. THE CARBURETOR BOWL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CARBURETOR BASE ALLOWING FUEL TO FREELY FLOW INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE THREADS IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL WERE STRIPPED. AT THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, 96 OPERATING HOURS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE, MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON THE CARBURETOR TO TIGHTEN THE SCREWS WHICH SECURE THE BOWL TO THE BASE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 385 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 383 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,782 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 1987; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,590 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 31.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.