The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB records through September 30, 2026

Fatal aviation accidents in 1988

499 fatal cases in 1988, newest first. Every case.

94,304 NTSB cases since 1962, each on its own page in plain English with the NTSB's probable cause and narrative, linked to the aircraft's registry record and its model. So far in 2026: 1,198 cases, 215 of them fatal, 478 people killed. No one is named on these pages.

Clear

Cases newest first · 499

DateCaseAircraftWhereOutcomeReport
1988-05-02 LAX88DVA04 Amateur-built KR-2
N127AS
Merced
California
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-05-01 CHI88FA102 Bellanca 7ECA
N31288
Merrimac
Wisconsin
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-05-01 NYC88FA133 Bell 206B
N7094J
Long Island Cty
New York
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-30 FTW88DRA11 Cessna L-19E
N3946L
Conroe
Texas
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-29 NYC88FA131 Piper PA-22-150
N3014Z
Thomasville
Pennsylvania
3 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-28 CHI88FA101 Cessna 152
N67338
Lonsdale
Minnesota
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-28 DCA88MA054 Boeing 737-297
N73711
Maui
Hawaii
1 killed
substantial damage
Preliminary
1988-04-27 ANC88FA051 Beech C55
N2730T
Tyonek
Alaska
2 killed
substantial damage
Preliminary
1988-04-25 SEA88FA084 Maule M5-210C
N312X
Bend
Oregon
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-24 BFO88DIG02 Amateur-built SHOESTRING S-102
N47CL
Gaithersburg
Maryland
1 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-23 LAX88DUA01 Amateur-built THORP T-18
N1394A
Palos Verdes
California
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-23 SEA88FA083 Cessna 310G
N2924R
Las Vegas
Nevada
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-21 DCA88WA055 Mcdonnell Douglas DC-3
N47FE
Mozambique-Sa
Mozambique
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-21 DEN88FA100 Cessna 182J
N2720F
Rapid City
South Dakota
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-21 MIA88LA156 Mooney M-20J
N58110
Perry
Florida
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-20 DEN88FA099 Beech A23-19
N7979L
Gunnison
Colorado
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-19 FTW88DRA09 Amateur-built BABY GREAT LAKES
N6915
Angleton
Texas
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-19 SEA88LA081 Rockwell A-9B
N7657V
Grace
Idaho
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-17 ANC88FA045 Piper PA-18-150
N4177Z
Palmer
Alaska
1 killed
substantial damage
Preliminary
1988-04-17 ATL89FAMS2 Piper PA-28-140
N98070
Missing 1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-17 LAX88FA163 Aerospatiale AS355F
N5777P
Cajon
California
2 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-17 LAX88FA168 Piper PA-28-140
N1681J
Essex
California
2 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-16 DEN88FA098 Piper PA-28R-200
N2738R
Pintura
Utah
3 killed
substantial damage
Preliminary
1988-04-16 LAX88FA161 Cessna 172G
N4493L
Los Banos
California
4 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-16 LAX88FA162 Cessna 210L
N29111
Maricopa
California
2 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-16 SEA88FA078 Piper PA-32RT-300T
N36815
Port Angeles
Washington
3 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-15 DEN88FA097 Cessna 150
N13788
Deer Lodge
Montana
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-15 LAX88WA165 Piper PA28
N4134W
Mulege
Mexico
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-14 DEN88FA096 Piper PA-28-161
N3850M
Milford
Utah
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-12 SEA88LA072 Amateur-built SKYBOLT GT-2
N76JJ
Saint John
Washington
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-11 ATL88FA138 Piper PA-28-180
N32911
Bowling Green
Kentucky
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-10 FTW88DPJ04 Aerotek PITTS S-2A
N8076
Elk City
Oklahoma
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-09 ATL88FA137 Beech C50
N66L
Fayetteville
North Carolina
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-09 DEN88FA093 Cessna 310I
N8008M
Helena
Montana
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-09 FTW88DRA06 Amateur-built BD-4
N1HN
Beaumont
Texas
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-09 NYC88LA125 Schleicher ASW-20 +1 more
N34JH
Fairfield
Pennsylvania
1 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-09 SEA88FA069 Aero Commander 680FL
N291NC
Soda Springs
Idaho
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-08 ATL88DMG05 Bellanca 14-19-3A
N8880R
Boone
North Carolina
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-06 BFO88FA034 Piper PA-28-140
N1719J
Manassas
Virginia
4 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-04 CHI88FA092 Cessna 207
N207CA
Hardwick
Minnesota
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-04 LAX88FA148 Piper PA-31-325
N6ET
Orinda
California
5 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-04 MIA88RA139 Cessna 421A
N42A
Freeport
Burkina Faso
5 killed Preliminary
1988-04-03 ATL88FA136 Piper PA-32R-301T
N8171P
Middlesboro
Kentucky
7 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-03 DEN88FA090 Beech A36
N5WW
Colorado Spring
Colorado
4 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-03 LAX88FA150 Piper PA-28-180
N15847
Ukiah
California
1 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-02 CHI88FA090 Piper PA-32-300
N32076
Quincy
Illinois
2 killed
destroyed
Final
1988-04-02 DEN88FA089 Burkhart Grob G103A
N788G
Boulder
Colorado
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-01 ATL88FA131 Mooney M20G
N3638N
Jasper
Georgia
1 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-01 FTW88FA085 Piper PA-24-260
N8553P
Henrietta
Texas
2 killed
destroyed
Preliminary
1988-04-01 LAX88FA146 Cessna 172N +1 more
N733KS
Saticoy
California
1 killed
substantial damage
Preliminary

About these pages

The records come from the NTSB's public aviation accident database, refreshed here every week. Each case has a permanent page at eflight.com/accidents/<case number>; the plain-English summary is built from the NTSB's coded fields, and the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. "Preliminary" means the investigation is still open; the final report usually follows within one to two years, and the page updates when it does. Pilots, passengers and other people involved are not named, the site's policy at this time. Where the aircraft is still on the U.S. register, the page links to its registry record; where the model has a page here, it links to that too.