Piper PA-30 accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 29, 1988
On July 29, 1988 at about 11:53 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N43GS, was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Witman Field). 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
- July 29, 1988 · about 11:53 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Witman Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N43GS · no longer on the register · serial 30-427
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 7, 1987; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JEF Jefferson MO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,166 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from OSH
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.