# Accident 19970517010889A: Piper PA38112, Champaign-Urban, IL, May 17, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 1997, 20:32 local time
- Place: Champaign-Urban, IL
- Airport: University Of Illinois-Willar
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0593° N, 88.2492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0593&lon=-88.2492&mi=10
- Aircraft: N383AV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N383AV-1998-04-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 63 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97FA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA133) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970517010889A

## Narrative

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

POWER LOSS AND POSSIBLE STALL ON INITIAL CLIMB. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER A TOUCH AND GO LANDING.  THE ENGINE LOST POWER FOLLOWED BY A DEPARTURE FROM CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND A COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.  SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL REMAINING IN BOTH FUEL TANKS.  THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE INDICATED THAT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE CONTAINED A MAXIMUM OF 20 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL.  ACCORDING TO THE HOBBS METER THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED FOR 2.8 HOURS.  THE OPERATOR SAID THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AIRPLANE IN ALL FLIGHT CONDITIONS FUEL CONSUMPTION AVERAGED 6.5 GALLONS/HOUR.                                                                   (-23) ON MAY 17, 1997, THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHILE OPERATING THE AIRPLANE SOLO, WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 32L AT WILLARD AIRPORT, SAVOY, ILLINOIS, (CMI).  THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED A LOSS OF POWER DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB.  THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES WHEN THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ON THE AIRPORT.

## 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 CHI97FA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA133), May 18, 1997: Piper PA-38-112 (N383AV), Savoy, IL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation and her not maintaining airspeed. Factors were fuel exhaustion and entering an inadvertent stall.

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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