Cessna 172 accident near Ft. Wayne, Indiana, February 14, 1988
On February 14, 1988 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5499K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Wayne, Indiana (Smith Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- February 14, 1988 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Wayne, Indiana · Smith Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5499K · no longer on the register · serial 17274164
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRPLANE NOSED OVER IN SOFT SNOW DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING ATTEMPT. THE PIC TRIED TO RECOVER FROM A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY ATTEMPTING TO ROLL OUT ON SNOW COVERED SOD AFTER HOPPING OVER A SNOWBANK THAT WAS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY LANDING SURFACE.
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
- Flight time: 84 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 49 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,912 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 1987; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bowman Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: SMD at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,110 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N5499K 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.