- Date
- December 5, 2002, 19:45 local (Dec 6, 2002, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Moline, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N80213Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Dupage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20021205035769A
- Case key
- 56226
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude clearance during a base to final turn on approach. Contributing factors to the accident were the night conditions and the trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The rental airplane returned with impact damage to its right wing, which was consistent with a tree strike. The pilot stated that he felt a bump while on a turn from base to final. The pilot stated he saw something with his right eye when he felt the bump. He added power and thought he had impacted something with the landing gear. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the local flight.
Factual narrative
On December 5, 2002, at 1945 central standard time, a Cessna 172M, N80213, operated by Flying Country Club as a rental airplane, returned with substantial damage after a local flight in the traffic pattern for runway 31 (7,001 feet by 150 feet, concrete) at Quad City International Airport, Moline, Illinois. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated at 1915.
The pilot reported he had climbed to pattern altitude after departure and was performing a left traffic pattern. The pilot stated he "saw something out of [his] right eye" while turning from base to final, and subsequently he increased engine power to full. The pilot further reported he felt a "bump." The pilot indicated he thought he had struck something with his landing gear. The pilot reported he landed the airplane and taxied back to the hanger. The pilot further reported that the right wing had been damaged.
The right wing leading edge was crushed inward and contained debris consistent with a tree strike.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80213
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266449
- Airframe hours
- 7,294
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flying Country Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 2002 · 258 hours before
- Departed
- MLI · Moline, IL
- Destination
- MLI
- Airport
- MLI · Quad City International, runway 31, 7,001 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 17, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 90 in this make and model · 177 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- MLI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.