Cessna 172R accident near Alton, Illinois, May 19, 2001
On May 19, 2001 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N9532K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alton, Illinois (St Louis Regional airport). It was a personal 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 misjudged flare by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2001 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Alton, Illinois · St Louis Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9532K · registry record · serial 172-80475
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained damage during a hard landing. The pilot said in a written report, "Doing touch and gos in pattern. On 4th circuit bounced landing [and] sudden vibration in nose wheel. Nose pulled up - power added [and] uneventful go around. Landed on 5th circuit's incident. When nose wheel touched down, again had heavy vibration. [Aircraft] stopped on runway...After shutdown discovered 1-2 [inch] bend in prop tips....Subsequently informed that firewall had been bent [and] required replacement." The pilot stated "Blow out nose wheel" in the section of the report titled, "Mechanical Malfunction Failure".
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,186.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2001; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALN Alton IL at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from STL, 17 miles away
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.
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.