Cessna 150M accident near Zeigler, Illinois, April 21, 1988
On April 21, 1988 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N9410U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zeigler, Illinois. 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
- April 21, 1988 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Zeigler, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9410U · no longer on the register · serial 15078358
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON COMPLETION OF A PRACTICE EMERGENCY LANDING PROCEDURE DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ABLE TO REGAIN PARTIAL POWER, AND MADE FORCED LANDING IN FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER JUST BEFORE IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN ON THE AIRFRAME, AND RAN VERY ROUGH. DIFFERENTIAL COMPRESSION CHECK WAS PERFORMED WITH LOW COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS #2 AND #4. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE #2 AND #4 EXHAUST VALVES WERE BINDING WHEN THE VALVES WERE APPROXIMATELY 0.25 INCHES FROM THE SEAT. THE VALVE STEMS WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND TO HAVE A CARBON-LIKE DEPOSIT SURROUNDING THE STEM FROM THE VALVE FACE TO THE AREA ON THE STEM WHERE IT ENTERS THE VALVE GUIDE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 304 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 192 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,866 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1988; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southern Illinois University
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Carbondale IL at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from MDH, 20 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.