Waco ATO accident near Middletown, Ohio, August 12, 1988
On August 12, 1988 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Waco ATO, registered N763E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middletown, Ohio. It was a personal 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1988 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Middletown, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco ATO · all ATOs on the register
- Registration
- N763E · registry record · serial 114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT DURING INITIAL CLIMB THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND HE DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE READ ZERO. HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET ON THE AUXILIARY TANK. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED THE MAIN TANK WHICH HELD APPROXIMATELY 61 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PLT INDICATED THAT BEFORE THE ENGINE COULD RESUME POWER THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND CONTINUED ITS DESCENT INTO A POND AND FLIPPED OVER. BOTH PERSONS THEN EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND WERE PICKED UP BY A SMALL BOAT.
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: 325 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,310 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1988; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-975-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.