Cessna 172 accident near West Chicago, Illinois, July 20, 1991
On July 20, 1991 at about 6:46 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N99515, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage CO. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE CFI/PIC. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A GUSTY CROSS WIND AND AN AIRPORT FACILITY, VASI LIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1991 · about 6:46 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N99515 · no longer on the register · serial 1726458
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI SAID THAT WHILE PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WITH A DUAL STUDENT, IN A CROSSWIND, THE AIRPLANE WAS CAUGHT BY A WIND GUST AND TURNED SIDEWAYS. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY COLLIDING WITH A VASI LIGHT.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 430 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 360 as pilot in command; 180 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,441 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 2, 1991; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Flyers, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DPA, 1 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.