Cessna 172R accident near Morris, Illinois, December 23, 2005
On December 23, 2005 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N723PG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morris, Illinois. It was a personal 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 pilot's improper in-flight decision to land with a quartering tailwind and not maintaining directional control. Factors were the quartering tailwind and the snowdrift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2005 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Morris, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N723PG · registry record · serial 17280675
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial right wing damage on impact with a snowdrift and terrain when the airplane departed the right side of runway 36 during landing. The pilot stated, "I went around the pattern again and the conclusion ended up the same [too] high and [too] fast but I decided to land this time and the wind blew me off the right side of the [runway]. If I would not have gone off the side of the [runway] I would have gone off the end." The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the flight. The wind was from 220 degrees at 14 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 58 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,286.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Belvidere IL at 2:30 pm
- Destination: C09 Morris IL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 pm from C09
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.