Cessna 172P accident near Waukegan, Illinois, November 12, 1996
On November 12, 1996 at about 6:36 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N55161, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois (Waukegan Regional 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
the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor was the pilot's misjudging the flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1996 · about 6:36 pm local time
- Place
- Waukegan, Illinois · Waukegan Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N55161 · registry record · serial 17275124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings. The airplane was observed to bounce from a hard landing and then impact on the nose landing gear. The pilot said she had received instruction subsequent to a previous landing accident. She indicated that she was practicing solo landings in preparation for a re-examination for her pilot certificate when this accident occurred.
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: 14 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UGN at 6:32 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,751 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from UGN
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.
Other NTSB records under N55161 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.