Cessna 172 accident near Princeton, Illinois, August 28, 1983
On August 28, 1983 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N12862, was substantially damaged in an accident near Princeton, Illinois (Princeton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1983 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, Illinois · Princeton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N12862 · no longer on the register · serial 17226321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TURF RWY WAS WET FROM RECENT RAINS. THE PLT STATED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE ACFT HAD ACCELERATED TO NEAR THE ROTATION SPEED WHEN IT WAS SLOWED BY A SOFT SPOT IN THE RWY NEAR MID FIELD. AT THE SAME POINT, AN UPSLOPE PORTION OF THE RWY WAS ENCOUNTERED & THE ACFT WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE. AS THE ACFT NEARED THE END OF THE RWY, LIFT-OFF SPEED HAD NOT BEEN REACHED, SO THE PLT INITIATED AN ABORT. THE ACFT CONTINUED OFF THE END OF THE RWY, CROSSED A ROAD & A DRAINAGE DITCH, THEN CAME TO REST IN A BEAN FIELD. THIS RESULTED IN SEPARATION OF THE GEAR & DAMAGE TO THE ENG MOUNTS & LEFT WING SPAR. THE PLT SPECULATED THAT THE RIGHT, FRONT SEAT, PASSENGER MAY HAVE ENADVERTENTLY BEEN RIDING THE BRAKES DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL WHICH WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SLOW RATE OF ACCELERATION.
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: 70 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,500 ft by 285 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DPA, 62 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.