- Date
- July 10, 1996, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Freeport, IL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5542RCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 3, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960710016669A
- Case key
- 10304
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 misjudgment of altitude and distance on final approach, and his failure to attain the proper touchdown point for landing.
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 pilot reported that he extended 30 degrees of flaps in the traffic pattern. On final approach, he realized that the airplane was 'too low to land on a level section of the runway, there is an upslope on the south end of runway 36.' The pilot said he applied power to correct the situation, but the airplane stalled and touched down short of the runway on an upsloping overrun area. The airplane then angled into a soy bean field to the left of the extended runway centerline and was damaged.
Factual narrative
On July 10, 1996, at 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N5542R, being flown by a private pilot undershot the runway and collided with the terrain while landing on runway 36 at the Dornink Airstrip, Freeport, Illinois. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, at 1300 cdt.
The pilot stated that he lowered 30 degrees of flaps throughout the traffic pattern. He stated that on short final he realized that he was too low to land on the level portion of the runway and instead was heading for the upslope overrun area at the approach end of the runway. He stated he added power; however, the airplane stalled and impacted the upslope. He stated the airplane then veered to the left into a soy bean field. The pilot reported he attempted to "get the aircraft airborne. When I knew I could not get back into the air I shut off the engine and held the nose up to avoid flipping over. The aircraft ground looped in the soy bean field... ."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5542R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253126
- Airframe hours
- 5,009
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald K. Dornink
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 17, 1996 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- C35 · Reedsburg, WI
- Destination
- C86
- Airport
- C86 · Dornink, runway 36, 2,600 × 140 ft, grass/turf
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 32 in this make and model · 116 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD
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 N5542R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.