Cessna 152 accident near Quincy, Illinois, October 17, 1997
On October 17, 1997 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68299, was destroyed in an accident near Quincy, Illinois. It was an instructional 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
improper in-flight planning/decision by the flight instructor (CFI), by switching 'OFF' the fuel selector valve of the single-engine airplane (starving the engine of fuel) to 'simulate' an emergency. Factors relating to the accident were: the soft and uneven terrain conditions in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1997 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68299 · no longer on the register · serial 15282238
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor (CFI) sent the student pilot on a solo flight after having flown with her earlier in the day. The CFI said the student departed with 20 gallons of fuel aboard the airplane. The student returned about 1 hour later. The CFI said he went flying with the student to check her progress. During this flight, the CFI moved the fuel selector to the 'OFF' position to simulate an engine failure. According to the CFI, the student performed the emergency engine starting procedures, and the fuel selector was returned to the 'ON' position. The CFI said his attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. He said he made a forced landing in the best field available, which was bottom land that had been disked (or plowed). During the landing, the airplane nosed over and was extensively damaged. The accident was reported about 2 months after it occurred. The airplane was not available for examination, and no reason was found to explain why an in-flight restart of the engine was not attained.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 542 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 462 as pilot in command; 188 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,702 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UIN at 10:15 pm
- Destination: UIN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.