Cessna 172 accident near Wheeling, Illinois, August 2, 1991
On August 2, 1991 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N97650, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee 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
INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A GUSTY CROSSWIND LANDING ENVIRONMENT AND A DITCH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1991 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee · 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
- N97650 · registry record · serial 17276218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL, IN A GUSTY CROSSWIND, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST. THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY COLLIDING WITH SOME BRUSH AND 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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER during landing - roll
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 49 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,352 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 24, 1991; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: RFD Rockford IL at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16, 5,137 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scattered at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°C, dew point 70°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 11:17 pm from PWK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N97650 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 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 CHI91LA249.