- Date
- November 14, 1989, 18:00 local (Nov 15, 1989, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Morris, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2796UCessna 172D
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891114045259A
- Case key
- 14514
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
VFR flight into IMC and spatial disorientation of the pilot. Contributing to the accident were the meteorological conditions and the overconfidence and lack of experience of the pilot.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2796U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250396
- Airframe hours
- 3,854
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rock River Flyers, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 18, 1989 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- C55 · Mt Morris, IL
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
- 18
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 78 total · 28 in this make and model · 42 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 50° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 16 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 N2796U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.