Cessna 172P accident near Lansing, Illinois, May 16, 1987
On May 16, 1987 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N97193, was destroyed in an accident near Lansing, Illinois (Lansing Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. 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
- May 16, 1987 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Illinois · Lansing Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N97193 · no longer on the register · serial 17276164
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE, THE LEFT WING THEN CONTACTED A BUILDING AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD. WITNESSES REPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH AND FAST AND DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE. ALSO ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, THE PILOT HAD MADE TWO OR THREE ATTEMPTS TO LAND PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: 100 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,155 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 13, 1987; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Associated Air Activities, INC
The flight
- Departed from: 1C1 Paxton IL at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,432 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.