Cessna 172 accident near Metropolis, Illinois, August 13, 1991
On August 13, 1991, a Cessna 172, registered N2339U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Metropolis, Illinois. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT NOT REMOVED (FOAM RUBBER) AND INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1991
- Place
- Metropolis, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2339U · no longer on the register · serial 17249939
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF LOCAL FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN TO OVER HEAT AND THEN QUIT. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A RURAL WOODED AREA RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PILOT HAD FAILED TO REMOVE FOAM RUBBER FROM THE AIR INLETS PRIOR TO FLIGHT.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 210 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,178 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 1990; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:50 pm from PAH, 10 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.