- Date
- July 14, 2003, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pinckneyville, IL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N98395Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030714020119A
- Case key
- 57505
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 planned approach not maintained by the pilot and the delayed remedial action by the certified flight instructor. A contributing factor to the accident was the approach light.
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 airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a runway threshold light during landing. According to the certified flight instructor, the private pilot was instructed to perform a forward slip landing. The CFI stated that he realized the approach was low and added power, but the airplane was too low and struck the threshold light.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 2003, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N98395, operated by Southern Illinois University as an instructional airplane, was substantially damaged during final approach to runway 18 (4,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt) at Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport (PJY), Pinckneyville, Illinois. The airplane struck a runway threshold light at the approach end of the runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 141 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor (CFI), private pilot, and student pilot passenger were uninjured. The flight originated from Southern Illinois Airport, Murphysboro, Illinois, at an unknown time.
According to the CFI, the private pilot was practicing short field landings, soft field landings, and slips during the flight. "After his third landing he (private pilot) was instructed to perform a forward slip (power off) landing. He was performing the maneuver with no instructional assistance require[d], when his approach became low." The CFI reported adding power but stated that the airplane was too low and it impacted a threshold light on runway 18.
The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98395
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1726285
- Airframe hours
- 6,997.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Board Of Trustees Of Southern Illinois
- Registered owner
- Southern Illinois University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2003 · 32.7 hours before
- Departed
- MDH · Carbondale/Murp, IL
- Destination
- PJY · Pinckneyville, IL
- Airport
- PJY · Pinckneyville-Du Quoin, runway 18, 4,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,300 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 9,200 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- August 12, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 111 in this make and model · 43 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- MDH, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N98395 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.