Cessna 172N accident near Middletown, Indiana, July 7, 1988
On July 7, 1988 at about 4:32 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6187D, was destroyed in an accident near Middletown, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ATTEMPTED OPERATION OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE BY THE PIC WHEN HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1988 · about 4:32 am local time
- Place
- Middletown, Indiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6187D · no longer on the register · serial 17272621
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A FLT AT NIGHT, THE ACFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, WHILE IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT AT HIGH SPEED. VMC PREVAILED THRU-OUT THE AREA, THE SKY WAS CLEAR, & THE PLT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH EITHER THE ACFT OR THE ENG; HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PLT'S WIFE STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN DEPRESSED. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PLT'S LIVER TISSUE SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF ETHANOL WITH A CONCENTRATION OF 0.114%; HOWEVER, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT PART OF THE ETHANOL MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED POST MORTEM.
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: 990 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 693 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AO (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AID Anderson IN at 4:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 am from IND, 37 miles away
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.