Cessna 172 N8265B accident near Martinville, Illinois

Probable cause

The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain.

NTSB analysis

The non-certificated pilot departed in the airplane for a personal flight. The airplane crashed in a soybean field about 11 miles from the departure airport. There were no witnesses, no recorded radar data, and no recorded radio transmissions from the pilot. Ground scars indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in about a 30° nose-down attitude. Two tracks correlating to the dimensions of the left main and nose landing gears extended about 294 ft on the tops of the soybean crop before the initial ground impact. All ground scars and damage to the airplane correlated to ground impact with high momentum. No evidence of pre-impact anomalies was found during postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller.

Although the pilot was being treated for metastatic colon cancer there is no evidence that the cancer or its treatment impaired his ability to operate the airplane and it is unlikely that it contributed directly to the accident. Toxicology testing found the impairing medications; alprazolam, codeine, fentanyl, and oxycodone.

Given the pilot's lack of certification, his limited recent experience, and his operation of the airplane while taking disqualifying and potentially impairing medications, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate clearance from terrain while intentionally flying at low altitude. Although the pilot was likely impaired by the combination of multiple medications, the investigation could not determine to what degree the pilot's lack flight skills and experience or impairment from multiple medications contributed to the loss of control of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15FA378 for the full record.