- Date
- February 25, 1989, 11:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Sparta, IL
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4717DCessna 182A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890225002739A
- Case key
- 14226
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Poor and improper maintenance which resulted in the carburetor venturi being blocked by the duct tape. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain on which the forced landing was made.
Analysis
Accident airplane was being used for sport parachute activity when engine failed during the initial climb of a jump sortie. The PIC instructed his four skydiver passengers to assume a crash position and accomplished an off airport landing in a soft field. During the landing roll the nose landing gear collapsed. Post accident examination of the engine revealed a piece of duct tape obstructing the carburetor venturi restricting airflow to the engine.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4717D
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34817
- Airframe hours
- 1,370
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dave Verner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 9, 1988 · 87 hours before
- Airport
- SAR
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 232 total · 15 in this make and model · 140 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLV, 25 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.
Other investigations on N4717D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.