Cessna 305A accident near Tampa, Florida, September 17, 1988
On September 17, 1988 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5223G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tampa, Florida (Vandenberg airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- September 17, 1988 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Vandenberg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5223G · no longer on the register · serial 22606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 200 FT. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND MUSHED, DESCENDING OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHING TO THE GROUND. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED TO FULL POWER AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE CAUSE OF 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,192 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,006 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,145 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1988; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: X39 Lutz FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,260 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from TPA, 9 miles away
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.
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.