# Accident 19970302002029A: Piper PA28235, Chicago/West Ch, IL, March 2, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 2, 1997, 14:00 local time
- Place: Chicago/West Ch, IL
- Airport: Dupage
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.8798° N, 88.2190° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8798&lon=-88.2190&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9420W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9420W-1997-11-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-235 (registry code 7102810, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28235
- Reported engine: LYC O540B4B5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 626 total, 187 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA076) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970302002029A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT REPORTED ENGINE PROBLEMS AFTER TAKEOFF, CLEARED LAND ON RUNWAY, LANDED AND CRASHED DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY (-23) SEE ATTACHED NARRATIVE; NO NARRATIVE ATTACHED.                       (.4) DURING CLIMBOUT AFTER A TOUCH-AND-GO, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED IN THE GRASS ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. NO ENGINE DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED AND CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY FIVE QUARTS OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT'S OWNERS MANUAL LISTED THE UNUSABLE FUEL FOR ALL OUR FUEL TANKS ON THE AIRPLANE, AT ONE PINT EACH. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK GAUGE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, AND NO LEAKS WERE FOUND IN THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. THE CARBURETOR'S FUEL BOWL WAS NOT COMPROMISED IN THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS NEARLY EMPTY. THE ONE FLUID OUNCE OF FLUID REMOVED FROM THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL, WAS ONE THIRD WATER AND TWO THIRDS GASOLINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA076), Mar 2, 1997: Piper PA-28-235 (N9420W), West Chicago, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: fuel starvation due to the pilot's improper fuel tank selection.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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