- Date
- June 9, 1995, 13:53 local (18:53 UTC)
- Place
- Plato Center, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5173Cessna R172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950609017699A
- Case key
- 9908
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 excessive pull-up during a downwind banner pick-up resulting in a stall. A factor related to the accident was the tailwind.
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
During a downwind banner pickup the pilot initiated a steep climb after hooking the banner. The airplane stalled and the pilot released the banner. The airplane nosed down into the terrain next to the runway and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On June 9, 1995, at 1353 central daylight time, a Cessna R172E, N5173, operated by Illinois Aerial Advertising, collided with the terrain during a banner pick-up at the Olson Field, Plato Center, Illinois. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured.
The banner had been positioned for a pick-up using the southwest runway. After the banner had been layed out a wind shift occurred which favored using the northeast runway. Instead of the banner being repositioned for the favorable runway, the pilot elected to make a downwind pick-up.
According to the pilot and witnesses, a downwind pick-up was made, and the pilot initiated a steep pull-up. The airplane stalled, and the pilot released the banner, but was unable to recover prior to contacting the ground.
The airplane descended in a nose low attitude with the nose wheel striking the ground a separating from the airplane. The airplane nosed over and came to rest on a heading opposite the direction of travel with approximately the right half of the airplane lying on the runway.
Winds reported at Dupage County Airport, 20 miles southeast of Olson Field, at 1350 cdt, were form 050 degrees at 11 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5173
- Reported as
- Cessna R172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R172-0144
- Airframe hours
- 2,331
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steve Fried
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LL53
- Airport
- LL53 · Olson
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,740 total · 513 in this make and model · 260 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 12 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.