Cessna 172 accident near Warrenton, Missouri, September 10, 1994
On September 10, 1994 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N98525, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warrenton, Missouri. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to use the proper procedure for an aborted takeoff. Factors associated with the accident were the trees, the pilot's poor preflight/preparation, and the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1994 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Missouri · 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
- N98525 · registry record · serial 17276306
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon reaching his destination, the pilot had difficulty identifying the correct airstrip on which he had intended to land because he was unfamiliar with the area. After landing, the pilot realized that he had mistaken a corn field for the airstrip. He decided to takeoff from the corn field to relocate the airplane to the correct airstrip. With ten degrees of flaps and full power, the pilot attempted to takeoff. When the airplane had not become airborne at a predetermined point, he decided to abort the takeoff. The pilot locked the brakes and the airplane skidded across the wet field and into trees. The pilot states he remembered to reduce the throttle after he had locked the brakes.
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: 74 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,923 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 19, 1994; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bradley Flying Association
The flight
- Departed from: PIA Peoria IL at 10:40 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N98525 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 CHI94LA324.