Weltzien Skypark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
Saturday, December 24, 1988 12:10 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PIC & FUTURE SON-IN-LAW CAME TO ARPT TO FLY ACFT. WX WAS LOW CEILINGS & VIZ DUE TO FOG. PIC DID NOT HAVE INSTRUMENT RATING. THE SON-IN-LAW, AN ARMY CAPTAIN, WAS SKED TO LEAVE FOR OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT SHORTLY. CLOSEST ARPT WHICH RPTED WX, 15 MILES SOUTHEAST, INDICATED THAT THE CEILINGS WERE RAGGED & THE TEMP/DEW POINT WAS 1 DEGREE APART. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING. OTHER PILOTS WERE SURPRISED WHEN THE PIC DEPARTED AND NOTED HE THROTTLED BACK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE ACFT WAS FOUND IN A FIELD ABOUT 3 MILES NE OF THE ARPT. IT WAS LOCATED IN THE APPROXIMATE AREA FOR A DOWNWIND LEG TO RUNWAY 21 AT WELTZIEN SKYPARK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/24/1988
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1210
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City WADSWORTH
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 44281
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WELTZIEN SKYPARK
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 15G
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 45
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1152 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID CAK
Elevation of weather observation facility 1200
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1808
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 24 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38056
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:21PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8193B
NTSB Number ATL89FA059
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 172
Aircraft Series Identifier 172
Aircraft Serial Number 29993
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 1 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 28
Airframe Hours 2754
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name OTTO ZAHLER, JOHN SCHMIDT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2786 SOUTH MAIN ST.
Aircraft Owner City AKRON
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 44319
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1210
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 Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --