# NTSB CHI00LA112: North American T-28B, N82AW, Kankakee, IL, April 15, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 15, 2000, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC) - Place: Kankakee, IL - Coordinates: 41.109085, -87.859825 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1091&lon=-87.8598&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 48972 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI00LA112 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/48972/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI00LA112 ## Probable cause the misjudged glidepath by the pilot. Factors were the failure of the impeller seal resulting in a total loss of engine oil and subsequent engine failure, the plowed farm field, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - lubricating system,oil seal - failure (contributing factor) - fluid,oil - loss,total (contributing factor) - engine assembly - failure,total (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - plowed/furrowed (contributing factor) - proper glidepath - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - none suitable (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot said that after leveling off at 9,500 feet he noticed abnormal oil pressure readings. The pilot elected to land the airplane, but before a landing could be accomplished, the oil pressure dropped and the engine subsequently failed. The pilot declared an emergency and requested and received vectors to an airport. The pilot said, 'at five miles I had the airport in sight and knew instantly I was way too high for the southeast runway. ... I was still high and lowered the gear with the full intention of making the hard surface runway.' The pilot reported that during the descent, the engine was vibrating violently and that the '...descent rate became excessively high.' The aircraft landed in a plowed farm field about 1 mile north of the airport. According to a written report, a postaccident examination of the engine revealed '...evidence of engine oil venting through the breather vent on the left side of the fuselage immediately aft of the engine cowl.' The report also states that the intake tubes for cylinders number 7 and 8 '...contained a large amount of oil. The impeller section of the engine was wet with oil. This would indicate the loss of impeller seal between this section and the power section of the engine.' The report also states that only the number 1 piston, which contains the master connecting rod, would move consistent with propeller movement. ## Factual narrative On April 15, 2000, at 1030 central daylight time, a North American T-28B, N82AW, piloted by an airline transport pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain following a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. The pilot received no injuries and his one passenger received minor injuries. The flight originated from the Schaumburg Regional Airport, Schaumburg, Illinois, at 1003, and was en route to the Ross County Airport, Chillicothe, Ohio. The pilot reported that after leveling off at 9,500 feet he noticed an engine oil pressure reading that was lower than he was accustomed to. He stated that he adjusted the engine and prop settings and that the oil pressure was now at the "... high end of the green band." The pilot said that he decided that he would land the airplane, but before he could accomplish this, the oil pressure dropped to 25-20 psi. The pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC) and declared an emergency. ATC issued the pilot vectors to the Greater Kankakee Airport (IKK), Kankakee, Illinois. He said, "at five miles I had the airport in sight and knew instantly I was way too high for the southeast runway. ... I was still high and lowered the gear with the full intention of making the hard surface runway." The pilot reported that during the descent, the engine was vibrating violently and that the "...descent rate became excessively high." The aircraft came to rest about 1 mile north of IKK. According to a report filed by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, a postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence of "...engine oil venting through the breather vent on the left side of the fuselage immediately aft of the engine cowl." The report also states that the intake tubes for cylinders number 7 and 8 "...contained a large amount of oil. The impeller section of the engine was wet with oil. This would indicate the loss of impeller seal between this section and the power section of the engine." The report also states that only the number 1 piston, which contains the master connecting rod, would move consistent with propeller movement. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N82AW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82AW-2000-09-08), registration cancelled 2000-09-08, S/N 138172 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: North American T-28B - Registry model: [North American T-28B](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-t-28b) (registry code 6402506) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 138172 - Airframe hours: 16132 - Engines: Wright R-1820-86B 1425 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: David H Mcpherson - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, February 7, 2000, 8 hours before - Departed: 06C, SCHAUMBURG, IL - Destination: RZT, CHILLICOTHE, OH - Airport: IKK, Greater Kankakee ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; flight engineer, commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 20,404 total, 1,536 in this make and model, 14,321 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 11 knots - Visibility: 8 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: MDW, 43 nm away 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.