Cessna 172R incident near West Chicago, Illinois, July 19, 2009
On July 19, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N77AF, was involved in an incident during approach near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to the detachment of the throttle control cable from the throttle assembly during a landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a redundant means to preclude the detachment of the cable from the throttle assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N77AF · no longer on the register · serial 17280071
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A previous maintenance entry in the airplane logbook indicated that the firewall was replaced and the airplane returned to service. The airplane had been operated for about 63 hours when the throttle control cable became unscrewed from the rod end of the throttle assembly during an instructional flight. The flight instructor and student pilot lost throttle control during an approach to a destination airport when engine speed increased to about 2,200-2,300 rpm. The flight instructor landed the airplane without further incident. The throttle control assemblies for the airplane do not have a key way at the throttle control knob to prevent rotation of the cable and unscrewing of the cable from the rod end should the jamnut become loose. The operator recommended that a safety device and not just a jamnut be installed to prevent the throttle control from disconnecting from the rod end.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Malfunction
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › (general) › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,888 hours in all; 1,419 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 9,677 as pilot in command; 1,960 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 16, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 549 hours in all; 255 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 513 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,880 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 26, 2009; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Flyers Inc
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: DPA West Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02L, 7,571 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.