Cessna 172D accident near Ottawa, Illinois, April 25, 1989
On April 25, 1989 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N98923, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ottawa, Illinois (Ottawa airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
STUDENT PILOT'S CONTINUING AN APPROACH TO LANDING BEYOND THE POINT WHERE SHE COULD BRING THE AIRCRAFT TO A CONTROLLED STOP ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY SURFACE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1989 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ottawa, Illinois · Ottawa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N98923 · registry record · serial 17276381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, THE STUDENT PILOT WAS OBSERVED TO 'COME IN WAY TOO HIGH' ON FINAL APPROACH, AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LAST 500 FEET OF THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A DITCH.
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: student
- Flight time: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,586 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 1988; 403 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C13 Ottawa IL at 12:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,125 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from RFD, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N98923 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI89LA081.