Smith Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ft Wayne, Indiana 46825
Tuesady, June 28, 1988 18:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT BGN PRACTICING TOUCH-&-GO (T&G) LNDGS. AT 1ST, RWY 31 WAS IN USE. AFTER THE 1ST T&G, THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO CHG TO RWY 5 FOR MORE FAVORABLE WIND CONDS. AT ABT THAT TIME, A COLD FNT WAS MVG THRU THE AREA, A TSTM WAS ABT 5 MI NW OF THE ARPT, THE WX WAS GETTING WINDY & THE CFI NOTED LGT RAIN ON THE WINDSHIELD. DRG THE CLIMB AFTER THE 2ND T&G, THE CFI NOTED THE ACFT HAD STOPPED CLIMBING AT ABT 200' AGL & TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT. LATER, HE SAID THE AIRSPEED WAS ABT 60 TO 65 KTS (BUT THE AIRSPEED INDCR WAS CALIBRATED IN MPH). CONCERNED ABT PWR LINES AHD, HE TURNEDTHE ACFT. HE THEN NOTICED IT WAS DSCNDG RAPIDLY & THE SPEED WAS DWN TO '55 OR MAYBE EVEN 50, WITHOUT REALLY CHANGING THEPITCH ANGLE.' THE ACFT THEN BANKED LEFT & ENTERED A NOSE DWN ATTITUDE. IT CRASHED INTO TREES, 2 VEHICLES & THE GND, THENSLID INTO A MOBILE HOME. CHILD NR MOBILE HOME WAS FATALLY INJURED. CFI THOUGHT FLAPS WERE RETRACTED FOR TKOF, BUT THEY WERE FND EXTDD 15 DEG. CANNABINOIDS FND IN PLT'S URINE, BUT NONE FND IN HIS BLOOD; URINE/PENTOBARBITAL LVL, 0.40 MG/DL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN DUE TO THE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, AND FAILURE TO AVOID THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A THUNDERSTORM.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/28/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1830
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City FT WAYNE
Event State INDIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 46825
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport SMITH FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SMD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 833
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1850 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 190
Weather Observation Facility ID FWA
Elevation of weather observation facility 815
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 9000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 23
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 1
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2230
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 28 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1945
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38894
Date of most recent change to record Jun 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\HAMG
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4744X
NTSB Number CHI88FA144
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150G
Aircraft Series Identifier 150G
Aircraft Serial Number 15064794
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 25 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 60
Airframe Hours 5747
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name F.T WAYNE AIR SERVICE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4021 AIR STREET, BAER FIELD
Aircraft Owner City FT. WAYNE
Aircraft Owner State IN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 46809
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FWA
Departure City FT WAYNE
Departure State IN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1830
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 5
Runway Length 3110
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --