Meigs Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chicago, Illinois 60607
Sunday, June 22, 1997 13:27 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot reported that while he was on a downwind leg for runway 18, he completed the landing checklist. He said he checked that the landing gear was locked and the green light was on while he was on the base leg. He reported that, 'As I flared to land, I hit the belly of the plane on the runway.' He reported that, 'By then I realized that the aircraft's landing gear had collapsed, and slid down the runway.' Inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the right side of the belly area, particularly on the lower wing strut attach bulkhead and the forward landing gear box bulkhead. The belly skin and associated attaching hardware were ground off approximately three inches on either side of the bulkheads. The aircraft was put on jack stands. The landing gear was cycled numerous times with no anomalies indicated. There were no scratch marks or damage to the landing gear, nor any damage to the landing gear gearbox. Both tires exhibited scuff marks about four inches wide perpendicular to the tire tread, but no rotational scuffing of the tires was noted.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot inadvertently executed a wheels up landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/22/1997
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1327
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60607
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MEIGS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CGX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 593
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1335 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CGX
Elevation of weather observation facility 593
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 766
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 22 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1503
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:20PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6280R
NTSB Number CHI97LA180
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 172RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 172RG
Aircraft Serial Number 172RG0141
Certified Max Gross Weight 2658
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 6 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 55
Airframe Hours 5104
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEWIS UNIVERSITY
Aircraft Owner Street Address R. R. 53
Aircraft Owner City ROMEOVILLE
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60441
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LOT
Departure City ROMEOVILLE
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1230
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code CGX
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18
Runway Length 3899
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --