Cessna 172 accident near Barrington Hill, Illinois, April 14, 1998
On April 14, 1998 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6300E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Barrington Hill, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush and subsequent in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1998 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Barrington Hill, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6300E · no longer on the register · serial 17246400
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he began his takeoff at the north end of a farm field with rolling terrain. He said the airplane lifted off after a 1,000-foot ground roll. When the airplane had climbed to a pilot-estimated 150-2oo-feet above the ground the pilot said the airplane the airplane '...started to fall out of the sky... .' The STOL-equipped airplane collided with telephone wires, trees and the ground. The flight instructor-rated passenger confirmed the pilot s version of what occurred. The rear seat passenger said the airplane lost lift when it turned to the left as it approached rising terrain. The passenger said the airplane crashed shortly thereafter. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or powerplant that would prevent normal flight. Tire tracks in the 6 to 8-inch high grass showed a takeoff roll of about 1,500-feet. The path through the tree's that the airplane collided with was 90-degrees to the tire tracks.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 360 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 337 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,583 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1997; 133 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from DPA, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.