Piper PA-31-350 accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, November 14, 1988
On November 14, 1988 at about 1:03 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N6292, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Eagle Creek Airpark airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 14, 1988 · about 1:03 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Eagle Creek Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N6292 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7612094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION & DRG THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE RGT ENG BEGAN TO BACKFIRE & RUN ROUGH. WHEN THE ENG CONTD TO RUN ROUGH IN SPITE OF ATTEMPTS TO SMOOTH IT OUT, THE PLT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS AT ABOUT 25' ABOVE THE GROUND. SEEING OBSTACLES AHEAD, THE PLT ELECTED TO BANK THE ACFT TO THE RGT TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL SPACE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT CONTACTED THE GROUND RGT WING 1ST. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT TUMBLED SIDEWAYS & SLID THRU A FENCE BEFORE STOPPING ON AN ACCESS ROAD. A POST-ACDNT EXAM & OPNL CHECK OF THE ENG FAILED TO DUPLICATE THE POWER LOSS AS DESCRIBED BY THE PLT. NO PRE-ACDNT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS VERIFIED EXCEPT FOR LOW COMPRESSION (30 OVER 80 PSI) OF THE #1 & #5 CYLINDERS ON THE RGT ENG.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 27,000 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 25,000 as pilot in command; 7,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,773 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1988; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-F2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jordan Paper Products, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: I14 at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 3WE St Louis MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:17 pm from IND, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N6292 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.