# Accident 19960710016669A: Cessna 172F, Freeport, IL, July 10, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 1996, 14:00 local time
- Place: Freeport, IL
- Airport: Ronald K Dornink Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.2893° N, 89.6309° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2893&lon=-89.6309&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5542R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5542R-1996-10-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172F (registry code 2072414, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172F
- Reported engine: CONT O300D
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 32 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA233) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960710016669A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI96LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA233), Jul 10, 1996: Cessna 172 (N5542R), Freeport, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misjudgment of altitude and distance on final approach, and his failure to attain the proper touchdown point for landing.

## Other reports on N5542R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19950731020902A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950731020902A), Jul 31, 1995: Cessna 172F (N5542R), Oshkosh, WI, Substantial damage. Tower asked plane to land mid runway behind Cessna. On ground roll impacted Cessna right wing. (-23) aircraft just landed and was getting ready to taxi off the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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