Cessna 172M accident near Festus, Missouri, September 19, 1987
On September 19, 1987 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13568, was substantially damaged in an accident near Festus, Missouri (Festus Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1987 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Festus, Missouri · Festus Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13568 · no longer on the register · serial 62853
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI WAS GIVING INST TO A PVT PLT WHO WAS UNDERGOING A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW. THE PVT PLT CMPLTD THE MANEUVERS AND RET TO THE ARPT. THE LNDG WAS ABORTED AND A GO-AROUND WAS MADE. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL AND EXECUTED ANOTHER APPCH. THE PVT PLT WAS TO MONITOR AN AIRSPD OF 70 MPH RECMND BY THE CFI AS THE APPROPRIATE APPCH SPD. THE CFI INTENDED THE PVT PLT TO FOLLOW THIS LEAD ON THE NEXT LNDG. THE CFI ADJUSTED FLAPS FM 30 TO 40 DEG'S ON SHORT FINAL AND ADDED SOME PWR TO MAINTAIN 70 MPH INDICATED. THE CFI THEN STATED HE ENCOUNTERED WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS WIND SHEAR IN THE VICINITY OF HEAVY WOODS NEAR THE RWY APPROACH. WINDS WERE FM 300 DEG MAG AT 13 KTS CREATING A X-WIND LNDG COMPONENT. THE CFI STATED THAT HE ADDED PWR AND CHGD ACFT PITCH ATTITUDE, TO ARREST THE DESCENT. THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED UNEVEN TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RWY. THE TREES HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR REMVL FOR SOMETIME. LCL PILOTS WERE AWARE OF THE DANGER, BUT WINDESPREAD KNOWLEDGE OF IT IS NOT. THE TREES REMAIN TO THIS DATE.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 435 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 270 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tak,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: FES Festus MO at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from SUS, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.