Cessna 172P accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois, July 14, 2003
On July 14, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98395, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois (Pinckneyville-Du Quoin airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The planned approach not maintained by the pilot and the delayed remedial action by the certified flight instructor. A contributing factor to the accident was the approach light.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pinckneyville, Illinois · Pinckneyville-Du Quoin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98395 · registry record · serial 1726285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a runway threshold light during landing. According to the certified flight instructor, the private pilot was instructed to perform a forward slip landing. The CFI stated that he realized the approach was low and added power, but the airplane was too low and struck the threshold light.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,300 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 9,200 as pilot in command; 8,900 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 29, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 43 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 12, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,997.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 2003; 32.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Carbondale/Murp IL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PJY Pinckneyville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N98395 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.