Cessna 172 accident near Wheeling, Illinois, August 16, 1995
On August 16, 1995 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6146E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee Municipal Arpt. airport). 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
inadequate preflight planning and preparation by the pilot and an inadverent stall encountered 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 16, 1995 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee Municipal Arpt. · 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
- N6146E · registry record · serial 46246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was observed by a flight instructor 'wallowing around' on final approach. He said the airplane stalled when it was about 80 feet above the ground. He said the airplane collided with trees during its uncontrolled descent following the stall. The witness said the propeller was not rotating and the airplane had 20 degrees of flaps extended. The pilot said the engine ran rough for a few moments when he was on final approach. He said it stopped running when he applied carburetor heat. The pilot said he had flown about 4 hours and 5 minutes after departing with full fuel tanks. Inspection of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty. No fuel was found on the ground surrounding the airplane. Endurance for the airplane with full fuel ranges between 3.9 and 4.4 hours, depending upon the mixture setting.
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: 94 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1994; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CUL Carmi IL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: PWK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,137 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from PWK, 2 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.