Cessna 152 accident near Waukegan, Illinois, December 14, 1997
On December 14, 1997 at about 3:41 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68318, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois (Waukegan Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 not identifying unsuitable terrain (snowbank) in the landing area, and his not selecting the proper touchdown point. A factor was the snowbank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1997 · about 3:41 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 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68318 · no longer on the register · serial 15285325
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot said he did not see the snowbank at the approach end of the runway on which he planned a landing due to the snowbank blending to the snow covered surface area. Impact marks indicate that the landing gear of the accident airplane impacted the 3' high snowbank prior to impacting the runway.
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: 78 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,640 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 17, 1997; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UGN at 3:33 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,751 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 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 N68318 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.