Cessna 172RG accident near Romeoville, Illinois, December 18, 1989
On December 18, 1989 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N9562B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Romeoville, Illinois (Lewis 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
DUAL STUDENT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND REMEDIAL ACTION NOT ATTAINED BY THE CFI. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: A SNOW BANK ADJACENT THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 1989 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Romeoville, Illinois · Lewis · 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
- N9562B · registry record · serial 172RG0882
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DUAL STUDENT WAS ATTEMPTING A SHORT-FIELD TAKEOFF IN PREPARATION FOR COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATION. AN INSTRUCTOR OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR STATED A WIND GUST AT LIFTOFF RAISED THE RIGHT WING AND DISPLACED THE AIRPLANE LEFT. THE LEFT WINGTIP DRAGGED SNOW-COVERED GROUND ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY, PIVOTING THE AIRPLANE LEFT AND NOSE DOWN TO A STOP. TAKEOFF RUNWAY WAS 24; WINDS WERE VARIABLE 240 TO 270 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 15.
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: 1,743 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 1,604 as pilot in command; 781 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,763 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LOT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,000 ft by 175 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI90DEE04.