Cessna 172 accident near Alton, Illinois, October 3, 2008
On October 3, 2008 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5172J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Alton, Illinois (St Louis Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A contributing factor was the presence of the sign struck during the runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2008 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Alton, Illinois · St Louis Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5172J · no longer on the register · serial 17281095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor had conducted four takeoffs and landings during a dual instructional flight prior to the accident flight. The flight instructor stated that the landings "went really well" and he elected to endorse the student pilot for solo flight. The student pilot subsequently took off on his initial solo flight and flew a normal traffic pattern. He noted that the airplane was established at 70 knots on final approach for runway 29 (8,098 feet by 150 feet, dry asphalt). The airplane touched down on centerline; however, after landing it began to drift to the left and he was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane subsequently departed the runway pavement and struck a runway sign before coming to rest. A post accident inspection revealed that the firewall had been damaged. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident. Winds were from 270 degrees at 10 knots at the time of the accident, according to the pilot.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 3, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,990 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Langa Air Services
The flight
- Departed from: ALN Alton IL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: ALN Alton IL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 29, 8,098 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from ALN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.