NTSB CHI88LA118 — 1988-05-26 · PLAINWELL, Michigan, United States

Current FAA registration · N20389

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1972 · 16 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A1A0BA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N20389 Cessna 172M None

Factual narrative

DURING AN UNAUTHORIZED FLIGHT OF UNKNOWN DURATION, BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN, AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS TO 'WOBBLE' AS IT APPROACHED THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESS THEN SAW THE AIRCRAFT 'CRASH' INTO THE GRASS AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT/OCCUPANT(S) OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD ABANDONED IT BY THE TIME POLICE AND THE WITNESS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. POLICE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES. INJURY INDEX PRESUMED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_CHI88LA118.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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