Cessna 152 accident near Murphysboro, Illinois, February 15, 2013
On February 15, 2013 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N95670, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Murphysboro, Illinois (Southern Illinois 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent encounter with birds while on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2013 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Murphysboro, Illinois · Southern Illinois Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95670 · registry record · serial 15285957
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a night solo flight to practice some night landings. While on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern after his first takeoff, he saw a “flash” of four to six birds fly through his field of view from the bottom left to the top right of the airplane and subsequently heard a loud noise. He said that the impact lifted the right wing upward slightly and that he thought it was a bird strike. He landed the airplane without further incident. The next day, the pilot noticed substantial damage to the right wing.
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
- Birdstrike during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 142 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 10, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,953 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 14, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees DBA
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Murphysboro IL at 1:00 am
- Destination: MDH Murphysboro IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13CA169.