- Date
- May 27, 1988, 11:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Gary, IN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5658GCessna 150K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880527016549A
- Case key
- 14081
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While on the return leg of a local flight, the pilot was flying at 150' above the water along the shoreline. The pilot's attention was diverted from the task of flying the airplane by navigation duties (the frequency, and adjustment, and tuning of the VOR), and sufficient visual lookout was not maintained. The aircraft entered an unnoticed gradual descent, struck the water and sank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5658G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15071158
- Airframe hours
- 4,462
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wade Palmer Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1988 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- 3HA · Lansing, IL
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 88 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GYY, 4 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.