Cessna 172R accident near Cahokia, Illinois, February 23, 2017
On February 23, 2017, a 2002 Cessna 172R, registered N51827, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cahokia, Illinois (St Louis Downtown Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A hard landing for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2017
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St Louis Downtown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R, built 2002 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N51827 · registry record · serial 17281108
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was parked on the operator's ramp when Federal Aviation Administration inspector(s), during a routine ramp inspection, found that the airplane had substantial damage to the firewall and structure aft of the firewall. Airplane maintenance records showed an entry stating that the damage was due to a suspected hard landing. The operator stated that the damage must have occurred between the airplane's 100-hour inspection on September 27 and an oil change performed on October 24, 2016. The operator's mechanic stated that the damage was found when the engine cowl was removed for the oil change. A review of airplane flight logs showed about 20 different people had flown the airplane over 48 flights between the time of the 100-hour inspection and the oil change. On October 8, 2016, a student pilot was performing touch and gos when the airplane bounced two or three times during the flight's final landing. The student pilot stated that, when she turned off the runway onto the taxiway, she noticed the airplane was not steering properly and reported to the air traffic control tower that she had some mechanical difficulty that required maintenance assistance. The student pilot's flight instructor and a company lineman responded and noticed that the airplane had a flat nosewheel tire. The lineman inflated the tire, and the student pilot and flight instructor taxied the airplane to the operator's maintenance facility. The flight instructor informed the operator's mechanic of the bounced landing and flat tire. The mechanic stated that he replaced the nose tire, performed a brief exterior walk-around visual inspection of the airplane, noting it appeared airworthy, and returned it to service. A hard landing inspection was not performed. Other than the bounced landing reported on October 8, 2016, no other concerns about the other flights were reported to the operator.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 27, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 3,862 hours total
- Operator: Ideal Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 10, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N51827 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.