Fairchild PT-19 accident near Converse, Indiana, September 10, 1988
On September 10, 1988 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Fairchild PT-19, registered N46876, was substantially damaged in an accident near Converse, Indiana. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1988 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Converse, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild PT-19 · all PT-19s on the register
- Registration
- N46876 · registry record · serial T421957
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL CLIMBOUT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE, THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. POST ACCIDENT EXAM REVEALED A BROKEN UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE FUEL SELECTOR. THERE WAS NO FUEL FOUND FORWARD OF THE FUEL SELECTOR.
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: 891 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 843 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1988; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,470 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ranger 6-440 C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1I8 Converse IN at 1:43 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from GUS, 13 miles away
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.
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 CHI88LA234.