Cessna 170B accident near West Chicago, Illinois, August 21, 1985
On August 21, 1985 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N2209D, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage airport). 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1985 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2209D · registry record · serial 20361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING APPLICATION OF PWR DURING A TOUCH-AND GO LANDING THE ACFT 'STARTED TO GET SIDEWAYS' ON THE RWY. THE PLT ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DRIFT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY INTO THE GRASS. A GROUND LOOP SUBSEQUENTLY OCCURRED WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED THE ACFT. WINDS AT THE TIME WERE FROM 80 DEGS AT 5 KTS WITH NO GUSTS. THE LANDING WAS BEING MADE ON RWY 15.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 209 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 67 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,487 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,401 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI85LA353.