NTSB CHI00LA309 — 2000-09-26 · WHEELING, Illinois, United States

N98629 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (STINSON L-5, built 1946), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N98629 Cessna 172P None

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind that resulted in the failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind, the ditch, the student's lack of experience, and the poor in-flight planning decision to land on a runway with a direct crosswind.

Factual narrative

On September 26, 2000, at 1445 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N98629, nosed over following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 16 (5,001 feet by 100 feet) at the Palwaukee Airport, Wheeling, Illinois. The student pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional cross-country flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane last departed Janesville, Wisconsin, at 1430 central daylight time. The student pilot reported he received a weather briefing from the Kankakee Flight Service Station prior to the cross-country flight. The pilot reported that upon returning to the Palwaukee Airport (his original departure point), he was cleared to land on runway 16 with the winds from 250 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. Upon landing, the airplane traveled off the right side of the runway where it contacted a drainage ditch and nosed over. The student pilot's logbook was endorsed for the cross-country flight. The endorsement contained a 7 knots crosswind limitation. Palwaukee Airport has another runway which is oriented 24/06. According to a Cessna 172P Information Manual, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 15 knots. The airplane nosed over following a loss of directional control on landing. The student pilot reported he received a weather briefing from the Kankakee Flight Service Station prior to the cross-country flight. The pilot reported that upon returning to the Palwaukee Airport (his original departure point), he was cleared to land on runway 16 with the winds from 250 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. Upon landing, the airplane traveled off the right side of the runway where it contacted a drainage ditch and nosed over. The student pilot's logbook was endorsed for the cross-country flight. The endorsement contained a 7 knots crosswind limitation. Palwaukee Airport has another runway which is oriented 24/06. According to a Cessna 172P Information Manual, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 15 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2000_CHI00LA309.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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