Cessna 172M accident near Moline, Illinois, December 6, 2002
On December 6, 2002 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80213, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moline, Illinois (Quad City International 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 pilot's failure to maintain altitude clearance during a base to final turn on approach. Contributing factors to the accident were the night conditions and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2002 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Moline, Illinois · Quad City International · 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
- N80213 · registry record · serial 17266449
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The rental airplane returned with impact damage to its right wing, which was consistent with a tree strike. The pilot stated that he felt a bump while on a turn from base to final. The pilot stated he saw something with his right eye when he felt the bump. He added power and thought he had impacted something with the landing gear. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the local 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 177 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 17, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,294 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2002; 258 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLI Moline IL
- Destination: MLI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from MLI
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.