# Accident 19970924028939A: Beech C23, Champaign-Urban, IL, September 24, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 24, 1997, 09:30 local time
- Place: Champaign-Urban, IL
- Airport: University Of Illinois-Willar
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0596° N, 88.2510° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0596&lon=-88.2510&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1851Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1851Z-2003-11-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech C23 (registry code 1151242, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-c23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH C23
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4J
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 354 total, 288 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA299) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970924028939A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER ON FINAL. CRASH LANDED. (.4)THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) SAID THAT THEY WERE 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AND IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL TOWER, WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THE RPM DROPPED FROM 2500 TO 2200 RPM. THE CFI NOTIFIED THE CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED A CLOSER RUNWAY. THE CFI TROUBLE SHOT THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID '. . . NOTHING WORKED, AND THE RPM DROPPED TO 2000. . . . OIL BEGAN TO COVER THE WINDSCREEN AND [OIL] PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO.  [THE] RPM WAS DECREASING AND I BELIEVED SEIZURE WAS EMINENT.'  THE CFI 'PULLED THE MIXTURE TO LEAN' AND ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY, BUT NOTED THAT HE WAS LOW IN ALTITUDE.  'I SIDESTEPPED TO AIM FOR THE GRASS AND AVOID [THE RUNWAY] LIGHTING AND THE LOCALIZER. I COULDN'T MAKE THE GRASS, SO I LANDED IN THE CORN.'  EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALL EIGHT VALVE LIFTERS WERE BROKEN. EXAMINATION OF THE LIFTERS AND LIFTER PIECES SHOWED BRITTLE FRACTURES DUE TO OVERLOAD. SOME AREAS ON THE LIFTER FACES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HEAVY LOADING FROM THE CAMSHAFT.                                                                                                                                                       (-23) ENGINE FAILED WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. INSTRUCTOR LANDED AIRCRAFT IN CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY ONE FOURTH MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY.  A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

## 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 CHI97LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA299), Sep 24, 1997: Beech C23 (N1851Z), Champaign, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: an undetermined engine and/or oil system failure that resulted in an oil leak and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was: high vegetation (corn crop) in the emergency landing area.

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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