Cessna 188A accident near Decatur, Texas, July 28, 1996
On July 28, 1996 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 188A, registered N1556M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1996 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Decatur, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188A · all 188As on the register
- Registration
- N1556M · registry record · serial 18800656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After towing and releasing a glider, the pilot approached the 3,200 foot grass airstrip to land on a east-northeast direction. The pilot stated that while attempting to flare for a three-point landing, the airplane bounced and directional control was lost resulting in a ground loop. The pilot added that the winds had shifted considerably from the time he departed the airstrip, and a left cross prevailed when he initiated the landing approach. The winds at the time of the accident were estimated from the north at 10 knots, gusting to 15.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,988 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1996; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D26 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.