Cessna 188 accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana, May 15, 1988
On May 15, 1988 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Cessna 188, registered N78392, was destroyed in an accident near Winnsboro, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- May 15, 1988 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Winnsboro, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188 · all 188s on the register
- Registration
- N78392 · no longer on the register · serial 18801951
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS PRACTICING AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVERS WITH BETWEEN 20 TO 40 GALLONS OF WATER IN THE SPRAY TANKS. A WITNESS INDICATED THAT 'AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED DOWN FOR THE PASS IT CLEARLY WENT INTO A FLAT SPIN IN WHICH IT MADE ALMOST 2 FULL REVOLUTIONS BEFORE IT HIT THE GROUND AT WHAT LOOKED TO BE APPROX 45 DEGREE ANGLE.' BLOOD SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PILOT SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT INDICATED A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF .166 PERCENT AND URINE ALCOHOL OF 0.20 PERCENT.
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: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:23 pm from MLU, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.