CEN26LA186

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28R-201 · West Chicago, IL · May 13, 2026

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
May 13, 2026, 09:55 local (14:55 UTC)
Place
West Chicago, IL
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N31401Piper PA-28R-201
Defining event
Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 17, 2026
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration; Chicago FSDO
FAA report
20260513006609A
Case key
202982

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to attempt an intersection takeoff and delay to abort the takeoff which resulted in a subsequent runway excursion.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Action: incorrect action selectionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28R-201: 2 casesAll aircraft: 397 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28R-201: 3 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28R-201: 3 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot stated that he estimated a takeoff distance of 1,200 ft based on his gross weight and weather conditions. The airplane preflight, engine start, and engine run-up were normal for the personal flight, and he performed an intersection takeoff, which provided about 2,500 ft of useable runway length from a total runway length of 3,399 ft. The pilot began the takeoff roll from a full stop with full engine power and used a short field takeoff wing flap setting of 25o. The pilot stated that the engine was operating at full power, and the engine instruments indicated no problems. About 1,300 ft from the end of the runway, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff because the airplane did not attain his target rotation speed. The pilot reduced engine power to idle and applied brakes, but as the airplane neared the end of the runway, he applied maximum braking and moved the control yoke full aft to increase the airplane weight on the main landing gear wheels. The left main landing gear wheel then locked up, and the airplane veered off the runway and impacted a runway end identifier light resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used the entire runway length for the takeoff, which would have provided enough distance to safely stop the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N31401
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28R-7837234
Built
1978
Airframe hours
5,968.1
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 hp, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 14, 2025
Destination
JVL · Janesville, WI
Airport
DPA · DuPage Airport, runway 33, 3,399 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
57
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
833 total · 173 in this make and model · 759 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 11 knots, gusting 20
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
55 °F, dew point 39 °F
Altimeter
29.97 inHg
Observed at
DPA

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.