- Date
- July 6, 1988, 23:32 local (Jul 7, 1988, 04:32 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N6187DCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880706025669A
- Case key
- 13951
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Attempted operation of the accident airplane by the PIC when he was under the influence of alcohol.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a flt at night, the acft impacted the terrain, while in a near vertical descent at high speed. VMC prevailed thru-out the area, the sky was clear, & the plt was instrument rated. An exam of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical defects with either the acft or the eng; however, the acft was extensively damaged. When notified of the accident, the plt's wife stated that he had been depressed. A toxicology check of the plt's liver tissue showed the presence of ethanol with a concentration of 0.114%; however, there was evidence that part of the ethanol may have been produced post mortem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6187D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272621
- Airframe hours
- 693
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AO, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles B. Holdon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 1988
- Departed
- AID · Anderson, IN
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 990 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 37 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.