- Date
- September 13, 1994, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N616SFCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940913026909A
- Case key
- 9680
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-in-command (CFI)'s inadequate supervision. Factors were the abrupt flare by the dual student.
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
While conducting a precision approach the student reduced the power and the descent rate increased. The student abruptly added power. The airplane pitched up and stalled on short final. Power was added by the student, but too late to avoid collision with the runway.
Factual narrative
On September 13, 1994, at 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N616SF, registered to Planemaster Services, Inc. of West Chicago, Illinois, and operated by a commercial flight instructor and a commercial student, departed controlled flight on short final to a landing on runway 15 (3,401' X 100' dry/asphalt) at DuPage Airport, West Chicago, Illinois, and impacted on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The instructor pilot and student reported no injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed West Chicago, Illinois, at 1515.
The student said that he was making a power off approach in accordance with the flight instructor's instructions. He stated as he came closer to touchdown he asked the instructor if he could add power, but did not receive an answer. He stated that he then "pushed the throttle forward and pitched up." He said at that point the instructor said, "Don't stall." But the airplane sank "too fast for me to react."
The instructor stated that he was giving the student instruction in a "precision approach." He stated that when the student thought they were too high, "... he cut the power increasing the descent rate. He flared abruptly at approximately 20 feet above runway putting aircraft in a stall. He added power at this point, but it was too late... ."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N616SF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0740
- Airframe hours
- 4,304
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Planemaster Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Provisional (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 12, 1994 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- DPA
- Destination
- DPA
- Airport
- DPA · Du Page Airport, runway 15, 3,401 × 100 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 500 in this make and model · 8,125 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA
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 N616SF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.