Cessna 150F accident near Poplar Grove, Illinois, December 20, 2005
On December 20, 2005 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8723S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Poplar Grove, Illinois. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's inadequate recovery from the bounced landing, and not maintaining airplane control during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2005 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Poplar Grove, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8723S · registry record · serial 15062023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with snow and terrain when the airplane exited the runway. The pilot stated, "Made final fast and flat. Contacted runway and bounced up and to right. Ended in snow, off the runway, right side up, nose wheel bent back." The pilot's safety recommendation was, "Be more ready to do a go-around."
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: student
- Flight time: 32 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,890 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Poplar Grove IL at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from RFD
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.