Cessna 177 accident near Rantoul, Illinois, April 19, 1997
On April 19, 1997 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N3489T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rantoul, Illinois (Rantoul National 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 student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1997 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Rantoul, Illinois · Rantoul National · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N3489T · registry record · serial 17700789
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during the landing flare, she reduced power, and the airplane 'fell in.' The airplane bounced, and the pilot added power; however, the airplane contacted the runway on the nose gear. The airplane bounced once again. Once again, the pilot added power, this time making a landing. The pilot reported she noticed damage to the airplane after taxiing to the local fixed base operator.
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: student
- Flight time: 91 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 23 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: 3,345 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1997; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C65 Plymouth IN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 2I5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from CMI, 19 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.