Cessna 175A accident near Bloomington, Indiana, July 8, 1988
On July 8, 1988 at about 5:09 pm local time, a Cessna 175A, registered N8059T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana (Bloomington Monroe County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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
- July 8, 1988 · about 5:09 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Bloomington Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175A · all 175As on the register
- Registration
- N8059T · no longer on the register · serial 56759
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT 150 FEET AGL AFTER TAKEOFF. PILOT MADE 180 DEGREE TURN IN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO AIRPORT, BUT EXPERIENCED FURTHER POWER LOSS AND ELECTED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING IN FIELD. RIGHT WINGTIP HIT TREE, AND AIRCRAFT MADE HARD LANDING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED FAILURE OF THE NUMBER TWO EXHAUST VALVE. THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN REPLACED WITH A REBUILT CYLINDER ASSEMBLY FIVE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD ACCUMULATED SEVEN HOURS OPERATIONAL TIME.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 977 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 756 as pilot in command; 49 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,689 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 1988; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: I21 Brookside IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,201 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.