Cessna 210L accident near Bannock Burn, Illinois, December 17, 1988
On December 17, 1988 at about 6:32 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N5225K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bannock Burn, Illinois. It was a personal 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
FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY ICE BLOCKED FUEL LINES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1988 · about 6:32 pm local time
- Place
- Bannock Burn, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N5225K · no longer on the register · serial 21060023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THE PLT SELECTED A TWO LANE ROAD AND PERFORMED AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING. DURING THE DESCENT THE PLT EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND SELECTED FULL FLAP EXTENSION. THE PLT OBSERVED A GAP IN THE TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD AND SLIPPED THE AIRPLANE IN ORDER TO POSITION THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING IN THE OPEN AREA. THE NO POWER GLIDE, FLARE, AND TOUCHDOWN WERE SUCCESSFUL AND HARD BRAKING SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO APPROXIMATELY 30 KTS BEFORE THE RIGHT WING STRUCK SMALL ROADSIDE TREES CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SWERVE RIGHT. TWO OF THE THREE LANDING GEAR FAILED AS THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THROUGH A SHALLOW DITCH AND CAME TO A STOP. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM DISCLOSED THE PRESENCE OF WATER.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,250 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,869 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 1988; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 6:20 pm
- Destination: UGN Waukegan IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from PWR, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.