Cessna 172 accident near Manito, Illinois, February 9, 2002
On February 9, 2002 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7025A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manito, Illinois (Manito Mitchell Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper planning and decision and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall and hard landing. The gusting crosswind conditions were a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2002 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Manito, Illinois · Manito Mitchell Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7025A · no longer on the register · serial 29125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna 172 stalled approximately 17 feet agl during a short field landing demonstrated by a certified flight instructor (CFI) to a student pilot. The CFI stated that the winds were from 180 degrees and that the airplane encountered wind shear due to trees while landing on runway 22 (2,784 feet by 40 feet). Winds were recorded 11 nm north-northeast of the accident site to be 160 degrees at 21 knots gusting to 26 knots resulting in a crosswind component of 14 knots gusting to 18 knots. Later models of the Cessna 172 have a demonstrated crosswind component of 15 knots.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,688 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,589 as pilot in command; 5,745 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 25, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,734 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2001; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C15 Pekin IL at 8:30 pm
- Destination: C45 Manito IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,784 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 21 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from PIA, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.