Cessna 172 accident near Salem, Illinois, June 14, 2018
On June 14, 2018 at about 7:17 pm local time, a 1985 Cessna 172, registered N98395, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Salem, Illinois (Salem-Leckrone airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a pole while taxiing the airplane on the ramp.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2018 · about 7:17 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Illinois · Salem-Leckrone · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1985 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N98395 · registry record · serial 17276285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, after landing, he taxied the airplane to the ramp to get fuel. While in front of the fuel tank, he repositioned the airplane with a 360° turn. During a second attempt to reposition the airplane, the right wing struck a nearby pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 59 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,436 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 7,274 hours total
- Operator: Southern Illinois University DBA
The flight
- Departed from: MDH Carbondale/Murphysboro IL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: SLO Salem IL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KSLO
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 September 17, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | 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 N98395 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.