Cessna 172N accident near Sandwich, Illinois, October 5, 1997
On October 5, 1997 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N73899, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandwich, Illinois (Woodlake Landing airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inability to maintain flying airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. A factor contributing to this accident was the wind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1997 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sandwich, Illinois · Woodlake Landing · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N73899 · registry record · serial 17267736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In an interview, the pilot stated that he obtained weather information from a television broadcast prior to his planned local flight. The winds were reported out of the south at 30 knots with gusts. The pilot said that while taxiing to the north/south grass runway the winds were strong, and immediately after the southbound takeoff it became 'gusty.' He opted to stay in the traffic pattern and re-land. The pilot recalled that while on final the flaps were extended 'one notch,' and the indicated airspeed was 65 knots. After reducing the power to idle just prior to the flare, the pilot stated that the airplane encountered a wind shear. He said a gust pitched the airplane up, then the wind abruptly stopped, causing the airplane to pitch nose down and collide with the runway. The nose gear separated from the airframe and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. In an interview, the right seat passenger said that the approach seemed normal. The airplane leveled off over the runway, then floated for a little bit. He said the airplane then quickly nosed up then 'banged down.' He recalls the flaps extended 'one notch' prior to impact. Neither the pilot nor the passenger remembers hearing a stall warning.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1997; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C48 at 8:00 pm
- Destination: C48
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,750 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from ARR, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.