Cessna 172P accident near New York, New York, September 30, 1988
On September 30, 1988 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98305, was destroyed in an accident near New York, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. 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 30, 1988 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- New York, New York
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98305 · no longer on the register · serial 17276275
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A NIGHT PERSONAL PLEASURE FLT ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER BETWEEN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, AT 300 FEET AGL, THE PLT TURNED THE ACFT TOWARD AN UNLIGHTED SHORE AREA AND LOST VISUAL CUES. THE PLT INADVERTENTLY FLEW THE ACFT INTO THE WATER. THE ACFT SUNK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE THREE OCCUPANTS SUCCESSFULLY EXITED THE ACFT WITH MINOR INJURIES AND SWAM ASHORE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 53 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Destination: TEB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.