Cessna 172 accident near Champaign, Illinois, March 8, 1985
On March 8, 1985 at about 1:40 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4332Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Champaign, Illinois (Champaingn Urbana airport). 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 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
- March 8, 1985 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Champaign, Illinois · Champaingn Urbana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4332Q · no longer on the register · serial 17260232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A PRACTICE ASR APCH USING A VISION RESTRICTING DEVICE THE PLT IN COMMAND EXCEEDED THE MDA AND CRASHED IN A FIELD APRX 1 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. RECOMMENDED ALTITUDES WERE BEING ISSUED BY ATC. THE SAFETY PLT ISSUED A WARNING CONCERNING THE LOW ALT AS THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN. ATTHE ACCIDENT, THE ALTIMETER INDICATED TERRAIN ELEVATION. IT WAS ALSO BENCH TESTED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,631 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 1,407 as pilot in command; 261 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,184 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVN Danville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:41 am from CMI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.