Cessna 170A accident near Springfield, Illinois, November 2, 1988
On November 2, 1988 at about 2:48 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N5596C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Illinois (Capital airport). 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
- November 2, 1988 · about 2:48 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Illinois · Capital
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N5596C · registry record · serial 19650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT NOSED DOWN AFTER GROUND LOOPING DURING A LANDING ATTEMPT. VMC PREVAILED AND A 90 DEGREE RIGHT CROSSWIND, BLOWING AT 12 KNOTS, WAS PRESENT. THE PILOT RELATES IN HIS STATEMENT THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT AND THE LEFT WING WENT DOWN. THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN WHEN THE MAIN LANDING GEAR LEFT THE RUNWAY.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 3,442 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 3,400 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,830 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1988; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUTT Layfayette IN at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 7,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from SPI
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.
Other NTSB records under N5596C 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.