Cessna 172S accident near Galesburg, Illinois, June 10, 2015
On June 10, 2015 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172S, registered N740SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galesburg, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Firewall damage reported by maintenance personnel that occurred during an unknown phase of flight, because the accident flight and pilot could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2015 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Galesburg, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S S, built 2000 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N740SP · registry record · serial 172S8671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a 50 hour maintenance inspection, an airframe and power plant mechanic discovered that the airplane's firewall was substantially damaged. The operator was not able to determine when the accident flight occurred or the pilot responsible. The airplane's last maintenance inspection occurred about three months prior to the discovery. Numerous pilots flew the airplane during that period, none of which reported an event that would result in damage to the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,919.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jet Air INC
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 – Airplane Firewall (Courtesy of Operator) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N740SP 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.