Cessna 172RG accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois, September 20, 1987
On September 20, 1987 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N9543B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois (Pinckneyville-Du Quoin 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 20, 1987 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pinckneyville, Illinois · Pinckneyville-Du Quoin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N9543B · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0868
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI), HE & THE STUDENT CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED & LOCKED AS THEY ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. FLAPS WERE EXTENDED & THEY CONTD IN THE PATTERN TO PRACTICE A SHORT FIELD LANDING TECHNIQUE. POWER WAS REDUCED AFTER CROSSING 100' OVER AN IMAGINARY 50' OBSTACLE. THE CFI STATED THAT ON THE INITIAL LNDG, THE ACFT CAME BACK OFF THE GND SVRL FT, & ON THE 2ND TOUCHDOWN, IT SETTLED ON ITS BELLY & SLID DOWN THE RWY WITH THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE UP PSN & THE GEAR RETRACTED. HE BELIEVED THE GEAR HANDLE 'ADVANCED FROM THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION TO THE UP POSITION.' HOWEVER, WHEN THE NORMAL & EMERGENCY GEAR SYSTEMS WERE CHECKED, THEY OPERATED NORMALLY & NO MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE GEAR RETRACTION CYCLE TOOK 6 SECONDS TO GO FROM FULL DOWN TO FULL UP.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 732 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,703 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1987; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Carbondale IL at 9:00 pm
- Runway 36, 2,700 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:42 pm from MDH, 14 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.