Cessna 172 accident near Chicago, Illinois, July 17, 2018
On July 17, 2018 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 1982 Cessna 172, registered N969RR, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Executive airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a truck while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2018 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago Executive · 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 1982 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N969RR · registry record · serial 17275850
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during taxi to the runway, he saw a fuel truck parked in the grass on the left side of the asphalt taxilane. He added that he "assumed that the truck driver had left room for airplanes to get by"; however, as the airplane passed the truck, its left wing struck the rear of the truck. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The student 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
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) 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 › Ground vehicle › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28.2 hours in all; 28.2 in this make and model; 20.2 in the last 90 days; 4.9 in the last 30 days; 0.4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: N969Rr Llc
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Chicago IL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PWK Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 am from KPWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 GAA18CA588.