Cessna 172RG accident near Litchfield, Illinois, February 8, 2008
On February 8, 2008 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N4726V, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Litchfield, Illinois. It was a personal 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 intentional low altitude flight and his failure to maintain clearance from the static wire. Contributing to the accident were the static wire, the partial loss of engine power due to propeller vibration, and the muddy field in which the forced landing was made.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2008 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Litchfield, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4726V · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0370
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he did not observe any obstacles when he overflew the lake, but noted there was some bird activity in the vicinity. He performed a low altitude pass, approximately 100 feet above the lake, without incident. During a second low altitude pass, the pilot heard a "thump" noise which was immediately followed by a loss of engine power and engine vibration. A forced landing was made in a nearby muddy field, but the airplane nosed over shortly after touchdown. The airplane impacted a static wire that was strung across the lake. The wire, approximately 40 feet above the water, was part of two-wire power transmission line. The airplane's propeller had damage consistent with a wire strike.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 175 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 142 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,768 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALN East Alton IL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: ALN Litchfield IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from ALN, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.