Cessna 172 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, March 10, 1988
On March 10, 1988 at about 1:20 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N98525, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada (Mccarran Intn'L. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1988 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · Mccarran Intn'L. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N98525 · registry record · serial 17276306
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT FOR A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN OR OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. UPON RETURNING TO THE ORIGINATING AIRPORT HE DISCOVERED THAT THE WINDS WERE UNFAVORABLE FOR LANDING AT THAT AIRPORT. THE PILOT THEN DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT WHERE THE WINDS WERE MORE DIRECTLY ALGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. DURING TAXI AFTER LANDING A STRONG GUST OF WIND OCCURRED, NOSING THE AIRCRAFT OVER INVERTED.
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
What happened, in order
- NOSE OVER during taxi - from landing
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,482 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 25, 1988; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: P06 Bullhead City AZ
- Destination: L15 Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 30 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N98525 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA88LA056.