Cessna 172P accident near Abilene, Kansas, June 19, 1998
On June 19, 1998 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N9786L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Abilene, Kansas (Abilene Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to plan his approach so as to be able to stop the airplane on the runway, and the instructor pilot's delay in taking control of the airplane, so as to correct the student's mistake. A factor contributing to this accident was the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1998 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Abilene, Kansas · Abilene Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9786L · registry record · serial 17276612
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The dual student was performing a simulated forced landing to the runway. The airplane touched down normally. After rolling down the runway approximately 500 feet, the instructor pilot realized that the airplane was not slowing down. The instructor pilot took control of the airplane and applied heavy braking. Realizing that the airplane was not going to stop on the prepared surface, the instructor pilot guided the airplane onto the hard ground surface overrun. The airplane had almost stopped when 'a hidden ditch appeared.' The instructor pilot said that he did not have time to turn the airplane. The airplane dropped into the ditch. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,820 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 1,783 as pilot in command; 720 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLN Salina KS at 1:00 pm
- Destination: K78
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from SLN, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI98LA254.