Cessna 337E accident near Friedens, Pennsylvania, February 2, 1988
On February 2, 1988 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 337E, registered N1201M, was destroyed in an accident near Friedens, Pennsylvania (Somerset airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- February 2, 1988 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Friedens, Pennsylvania · Somerset · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337E · all 337Es on the register
- Registration
- N1201M · registry record · serial 33701301
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 24 YEAR OLD UNLICENSED PILOT MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED FLIGHT IN HIS FATHER'S AIRCRAFT. THE CESSNA 337 WAS OBSERVED TO MANUEVER IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT AT A LOW ALTITUDE IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS LEFT WING HIGH AND THE NOSE FELL THROUGH THE HORIZON. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON THE AIRPORT AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. NO PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRCRAFT. WEATHER WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 200 FT VARIABLE 400 FT OVERCAST, 1 MILE VISIBILITY, WITH RAIN AND FOG. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN SOLO IN THIS AIRCRAFT AND ANOTHER 337 AND A PIPER CHEROKEE ALSO BASED AT THIS AIRPORT. NO RECORD COULD BE FOUND TO INDICATE THE PILOT HAD EVER POSSESSED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OR TAKEN ANY FAA RATING EXAMS. WITNESSES SAID HE HAD RECEIVED FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FROM HIS FATHER, A RETIRED AIRLINE CAPTAIN.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,440 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.