Piper J-3 accident near Waynesville, Ohio, July 29, 1988
On July 29, 1988 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N92483, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waynesville, Ohio (Waynesville airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1988 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesville, Ohio · Waynesville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N92483 · registry record · serial 16955
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WITH A PRE-SOLO STUDENT, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND VISUAL LOOKOUT, AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A FENCE AND CAME TO A STOP IN A CORNFIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED A 10 KNOT LEFT CROSSWIND AND THAT RESTRICTED VISIBILITY DUE TO SUNGLARE WAS A FACTOR.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,718 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 17,718 as pilot in command; 13,679 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,357 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1988; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stewart'S Aircraft Service
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,100 ft by 125 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from DAY, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N92483 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI88LA184.