Cessna 172 accident near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, October 11, 1988
On October 11, 1988 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9108B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person 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
- October 11, 1988 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9108B · no longer on the register · serial 36608
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 WAS RETURNING SOLO FROM ATLANTIC CITY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. HE LANDED IN A CORN FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE PLT SAID HE FUELED THE ACFT WITH 20 GALS OF FUEL BEFORE HIS FLT FROM HARRISBURG, PA TO ATLANTIC CITY. NO REFUELING WAS PERFORMED AT ATLANTIC CITY FOR THE RETURN FLT TO HANOVER, PA. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT, NOT IN CONNECTION WITH FLIGHT TRAINING.
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: student
- Flight time: 65 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Atlantic City NJ at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Hanover PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°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.