Piper PA-24-250 accident near Crestview, Florida, November 28, 1988
On November 28, 1988 at about 10:00 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N8226P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crestview, Florida (Bob Sikes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 28, 1988 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Crestview, Florida · Bob Sikes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N8226P · no longer on the register · serial 24-3479
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLT NEAR AN ARPT, THE PROP SEPARATED. PLT WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO ARPT & ENTERED PATTERN FOR LNDG. DOWNWIND LEG WAS EXTENDED DUE TO STRONG TAILWIND. STRONG HEADWIND ON FINAL CAUSED ACFT TO LAND SHORT. DURING LANDING ROLL ACFT COLLIDED WITH TWO FENCES. EXAMINATION OF ACFT REVEALED 6 PROP MOUNT BOLTS FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER PLACEMENT OF PROP MOUNTING SHIM BETWEEN ENGINE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE AND STARTER GEAR FLANGE. ACFT MANUAL STATED PROP MOUNT BOLTS MAY FAIL DUE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO FLANGES IF SHIM IS NOT INSTALLED. CORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE SHIM IS BETWEEN THE PROP FLANGE & THE STARTER GEAR FLANGE. SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE APROX 45 HRS EARLIER RESULTED IN PROP REMOVAL, OVERHAUL, & REINSTALLATION.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,980 hours in all; 719 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,816 as pilot in command; 716 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,019 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 1988; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Nims Associates, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 40J Perry FL at 7:30 am
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from VPS, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N8226P 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.