Cessna 172N accident near Murphysboro, Illinois, February 12, 2022
On February 12, 2022 at about 11:57 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172N, registered N737SY, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Murphysboro, Illinois (Southern Illinois airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during approach for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2022 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- Murphysboro, Illinois · Southern Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1977 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737SY · no longer on the register · serial 17269650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings during a solo instructional flight at the time of the accident. She completed 7 landings without incident, and the accident approach was to be the final landing. The pilot reported that the runway was in sight, but she did not see the power lines. The airplane hit the lines and subsequently impacted the ground below the lines. The airframe sustained damage to the fuselage and left wing. According to the pilot, there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane before the accident. The accident occurred about 24 minutes after sunset and about 3 minutes before the end of civil twilight. The runway was equipped with Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) system. An inspection of the system after the accident revealed that it was operating normally at that time.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Low light › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 76 hours in all; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 8, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,800.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 2021; 83.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Murphysboro IL at 11:01 pm
- Destination: MDH Murphysboro IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36R, 6,506 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from MDH, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on March 18, 2022. 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | ATC Communications Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records (Excerpt) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Chart Supplement -- Kmdh | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Observations -- Kmdh | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Sun and Moon Data -- Murphysboro, Il | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Conversation Summary -- FAA Tech Ops | PDF, 1 page | 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 N737SY 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.