Piper PA-28-180 accident near Pekin, Illinois, January 19, 2011
On January 19, 2011 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5658W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Pekin, Illinois (Pekin Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2011 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pekin, Illinois · Pekin Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5658W · no longer on the register · serial 28-825
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said that he was a performing takeoffs and landings on his first solo flight when the accident occurred. He stated that he had made two or three uneventful landings prior to the accident. He said that, while floating down the runway, he was holding the airplane off the ground waiting for it to settle. He said that he did not pay sufficient attention to the airplane’s airspeed and it stalled about 10 to 15 feet above the runway. The airplane's nose dropped and the airplane impacted the ground nose first and skidded to a stop. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, including buckling of the fuselage and bending of both wing spars.
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 in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C15 Pekin IL at 10:30 pm
- Destination: C15 Pekin IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.