Cessna A188 accident near La Porte, Texas, December 17, 1996
On December 17, 1996 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna A188, registered N9860V, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Porte, 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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1996 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- La Porte, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188 · all A188s on the register
- Registration
- N9860V · no longer on the register · serial 188-0110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had completed a banner towing flight about 1,000 feet AGL and was entering the traffic pattern to land on runway 12. At about 800 feet MSL, 'the engine started to run rough, coughed and lost power.' The pilot maneuvered the airplane toward a pasture, while going through the engine restart checklist and dropping the banner. The engine surged a couple of times, but did not regain power. The pilot made a forced landing in an open field, about 3 miles from the airport. He stated that the airplane touched down in a three point attitude. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted several small trees and went through a fence line. The engine had accumulated a total of 2,659 hours, and 1,175 hours since the last overhaul. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,196 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,180 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,026 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 16, 1996; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T41 at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.