Cessna 172RG accident near Chicago, Illinois, June 22, 1997
On June 22, 1997 at about 6:27 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N6280R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (Meigs airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot inadvertently executed a wheels up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 1997 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Meigs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N6280R · registry record · serial 172RG0141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while he was on a downwind leg for runway 18, he completed the landing checklist. He said he checked that the landing gear was locked and the green light was on while he was on the base leg. He reported that, 'As I flared to land, I hit the belly of the plane on the runway.' He reported that, 'By then I realized that the aircraft's landing gear had collapsed, and slid down the runway.' Inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the right side of the belly area, particularly on the lower wing strut attach bulkhead and the forward landing gear box bulkhead. The belly skin and associated attaching hardware were ground off approximately three inches on either side of the bulkheads. The aircraft was put on jack stands. The landing gear was cycled numerous times with no anomalies indicated. There were no scratch marks or damage to the landing gear, nor any damage to the landing gear gearbox. Both tires exhibited scuff marks about four inches wide perpendicular to the tire tread, but no rotational scuffing of the tires was noted.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 265 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,104 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 1997; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,658 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOT Romeoville IL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: CGX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 3,899 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from CGX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.