- Date
- July 28, 1986, 13:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6135LAmerican AA-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860728036439A
- Case key
- 13265
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses who spoke with plt of N6135L prior to accident stated that he was acting out of character. He had a loss of appetite and his complexion was ashen grey. The plt stated that he did not feel well before the flt. Witnesses observed the acft takeoff, climb slightly, then bank steeply to the right and crash. Post mortem exam revealed evidence of 90% occlusion of left coronary artery which resulted in an arrythmia or myocardial infarction. The cardiac disfunction rendered the plt physically incapacitated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6135L
- Reported as
- American AA-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0335
- Airframe hours
- 3,054
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph Gehrig
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 14, 1985 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- IC5
- Destination
- 3HW · Blue Island, IL
- Airport
- 1C5 · Clow Int'L, runway 36, 3,370 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,688 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 93 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.