What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Too low to land on runway. Veered into soybean field. Stalled impacted upslope and ground looped. (-23) on July 10, 1996, at 1400 CDT, a Cessna 172, N5542R, being flown by gerald qualter , private pilot, undershot the runway and collided with the terrain while landing on runway 36 at the Dornink airport, Freeport, IL. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR 91 flight was operating in VMC without a flight plan. The flight originated from reedsburg, Wisconsin, at 1300 CDT. The pilot had 30 degrees of flare throughout the traffic pattern. He realized on short final he was too low and would impact the upslope portion of the overrun area at the approach end. He added power; however the aircraft stalled, impacted the upslope and veered into a soy bean field.
As the FAA filed it
TOO LOW TO LAND ON RUNWAY. VEERED INTO SOYBEAN FIELD. STALLED IMPACTED UPSLOPE AND GROUND LOOPED. (-23) ON JULY 10, 1996, AT 1400 CDT, A CESSNA 172, N5542R, BEING FLOWN BY GERALD QUALTER , PRIVATE PILOT, UNDERSHOT THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 AT THE DORNINK AIRPORT, FREEPORT, IL. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VMC WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM REEDSBURG, WISCONSIN, AT 1300 CDT. THE PILOT HAD 30 DEGREES OF FLARE THROUGHOUT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE REALIZED ON SHORT FINAL HE WAS TOO LOW AND WOULD IMPACT THE UPSLOPE PORTION OF THE OVERRUN AREA AT THE APPROACH END. HE ADDED POWER; HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, IMPACTED THE UPSLOPE AND VEERED INTO A SOY BEAN FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5542R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.