Piper PA-38-112 accident near Parker City, Pennsylvania, September 3, 1988
On September 3, 1988 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2568N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parker City, Pennsylvania. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- September 3, 1988 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Parker City, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2568N · registry record · serial 38-79A0924
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO PERFORM LANDINGS AT SOME NEARBY APTS TO PREPARE THE STUDENT FOR AN UPCOMING CHECK FLT. LANDINGS WERE COMPLETED AT TWO APTS AND THE PIC, AN ATP/CFI, REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO ANOTHER APT. APPROACH CONTROL WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE ACFT ON RADAR AND THE PLT ADVISED THAT HIS TRANSPONDER WAS INOP. THE PLT THEN CANCELLED HIS REQUEST AND LEFT THE APPROACH CONTROL FREQ. ABOUT 20 MIN LATER THE PLT AGAIN CALLED APPROACH CONTROL AND REQUESTED RADAR ASSISTANCE. THE PLT SAID HIS TRANSPONDER AND VOR WERE BOTH INOP AND WHEN ASKED, HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION. RADAR CONTACT WAS NEVER ACQUIRED AND FUEL EXHAUSTION RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING. THE VOR BENCH CHECKED OK AFTER THE ACDT BUT THE TRANSPONDER WAS INOP.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,857 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 3,403 as pilot in command; 313 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Beaver Aviation Service,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BVI Beaver Falls PA at 4:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.