# Accident 20010722018789A: Cessna 177, Benton, IL, July 22, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 22, 2001, 18:40 local time - Place: Benton, IL - Airport: Benton Municipal Airport - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.0067° N, 88.9486° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0067&lon=-88.9486&mi=10 - Aircraft: N235LA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N235LA-2002-04-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 177 (registry code 2073704, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 177 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI01FA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01FA234) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010722018789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JULY 22, 2001, ABOUT 1840 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 177, N235LA, PILOTED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT, PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH OBJECTS AND TERRAIN DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 36 (2,720 FEET BY 60 FEET, ASPHALT) AT BENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (H96), NEAR BENTON, ILLINOIS. A POST IMPACT FIRE OCCURRED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAND WAS ON FILE. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM H96 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS DESTINED FOR WARSAW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEAR WARSAW, INDIANA. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE TAKING OFF TO THE NORTH FROM H96. THE WITNESS DEMONSTRATED THE ANGLE THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING AT. THAT ANGLE WAS ABOUT 45 DEGREES. SHE STATED THAT SHE HEARD WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS THUNDER. SHE SAW SMOKE AND CALLED 911. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR INTERVIEWED FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL THAT WERE THE FIRST ON THE SCENE. A RESPONDING FIREMAN STATED THAT RAIN BEGAN APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES AFTER FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED. THE FIREMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND THU NDER PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RAIN AND AFTER THE RAIN BEGAN. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED OBJECTS AND TERRAIN WEST OF RUNWAY 36. THE AREA IMPACTED WAS A YARD THAT CONTAINED BOATS AND BOAT CONTRUCTION MEDIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND INVERTED, DISCOLORED AND DEFORMED. SECTIONS OF THE FUSELAGE AND IMPACTED BOAT MEDIA WERE FOUND MELTED. THE EMPENNAGE'S RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND UNDER THE RIGHT WING. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND DEFORMED AND MELTED. THE RUDDER WAS FOUND DEFORMED, AND MELTED. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE. THE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED CHORDWISE ABRASION AND SCRATCHES. THE PROPELER SHAFT WAS FOUND FRACTURED. VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY WAS OBSERVED AT ALL CYLINDERS. ALL CYLINDERS EXHIBITED A THUMB COMPRESSION. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE FOUND DISCOLORED AND DEFORMED. REMOVED SPARK PLUGS EXHIBITED A GRAY COLOR. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. A BLUE COLORED FLUID WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT WING'S FUEL TANK. THAT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND COMPROMISED. AT 1848, THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR MARION, ILLINOIS, WEATHER WAS: WIND CALM; SKY CONDITION SCATTERED 2,500 FEET SCATTERED 9,500 FEET; TEMPERATURE 28 DEGREES C; DEW POINT 22 DEGREES C; ALTIMETER 29.87 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 AT BENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1840 HOURS, DEPARTED FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. WITNESSES NOTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND PILOT LOGBOOKS ARE UNAVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT. ## 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 CHI01FA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01FA234), Jul 22, 2001: Cessna 177 (N235LA), Benton, IL, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in a stall. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.