Cessna 172M accident near West Chicago, Illinois, May 9, 2001
On May 9, 2001 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13474, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Du Page 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate compensation for the crosswind by the student pilot. Additional factors included the student pilot's lack of total flight time, the runway sign and the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2001 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Du Page Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13474 · no longer on the register · serial 17262777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The right main landing gear collapsed when it struck a runway sign after a loss of directional control during landing. The student pilot reported, "At the point which I wanted to touchdown, my airspeed was still greater than I wanted, so I kept the aircraft off the ground until I reached a slower airspeed. I encountered a gust of wind, which pushed the plane left with the wind, and at the same time I touched the ground. As I touched the ground the plane immediately headed off the runway. The result was hitting a runway marking sign causing the right main landing gear to collapse and causing damage to the right stabilizer." The student pilot also stated, "I did not have enough crosswind correction for the winds, which caused my situation." The student pilot had a total of 18 hours of flight time, and the accident flight was the second solo flight.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,191.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2000; 682.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Illinois Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19R, 6,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N13474 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.