Cessna A188B accident near Kankakee, Illinois, July 5, 2017
On July 5, 2017 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna A188B, registered N4207J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kankakee, Illinois (Greater Kankakee airport). It was a ferry 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and his subsequent incorrect brake application, which led to the loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2017 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kankakee, Illinois · Greater Kankakee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A188B B, built 1980 · all A188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4207J · no longer on the register · serial 18803724
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he made a three-point landing on runway 4, but the airspeed was high, and the airplane bounced. The airplane then descended and landed on the main landing gear. As the airspeed decreased and the tailwheel settled to the runway, the pilot felt that he did not have rudder authority, and he mistakenly attempted to apply the heel brakes. The accident airplane was equipped with toe brakes. The pilot's other airplane had heel brakes, and he recalled that the heel brake application was instinctive. The pilot reported that there was a crosswind, that the airplane began pulling to the right, and that he eventually applied the toe brakes, but the airplane ground looped to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The METAR reported that the wind was from 130° at 7 knots and that the sky was clear with 10 statute miles of visibility. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 327 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 4.5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 4, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,867.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO520D187B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4WN9 Salem WI at 2:00 pm
- Destination: IN55 Veddersburg IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,981 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KIKK, 3 miles away
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 January 26, 2018. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.