Cessna 172D accident near Germantown Hill, Illinois, September 22, 1996
On September 22, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N904SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Germantown Hill, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate fuel supply and his misjudging distance and altitude. The trees were a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Germantown Hill, Illinois
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N904SW · registry record · serial 17250163
- 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 he departed with 8 gallons of fuel on the airplane. After a flight of about 10 to 15 minutes the engine suffered a loss of power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and he made a forced landing. He slowed the airplane on final and was unable to reach the point of intended landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed only unusable remaining the tanks. No mechanical anomalies were found during the inspection.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,145 hours in all; 495 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,030 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,720 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 27, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3MY Peoria IL at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KPI, 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI96LA350.