Cessna 152 accident near Dwight, Illinois, September 6, 1986
On September 6, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24980, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dwight, Illinois (Dwight airport). It was an instructional 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
- September 6, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dwight, Illinois · Dwight · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24980 · registry record · serial 15280489
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE CAB OF A TRUCK WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. THE CFI STATED THAT, AS THEY WERE PASSING OVER THE ROAD AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND THE EMPENNAGE STRUCK THE TRUCK WHICH WAS APPROACHING FROM THE LEFT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,830 hours in all; 4,008 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 14,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,899 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 1986; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C18 Frankfort IL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: DTG Dwight IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,368 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from BMI, 48 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.