Cessna 172D accident near Mt Morris, Illinois, November 15, 1989
On November 15, 1989, a Cessna 172D, registered N2796U, was destroyed in an accident near Mt Morris, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC AND SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THE OVERCONFIDENCE AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1989
- Place
- Mt Morris, Illinois
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2796U · registry record · serial 17250396
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 78 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 42 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 1989; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C55 Mt Morris IL at 11:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from RFD, 16 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.
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.