- Date
- June 16, 1989, 15:16 local (20:16 UTC)
- Place
- Saint Charles, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5242TPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890616018019A
- Case key
- 14254
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 failure of the mechanic to properly inspect the alternate air door during annual inspection. This failure led to air starvation, loss of power, and a forced landing by the pilot onto rough terrain.
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
The pilot taxied and took off without difficulty, but noticed a gradual loss of manifold pressure as he was preparing to retract the gear. He landed in a nearby field without incident, but during rollout, the aircraft struck a ditch, driving the right gear through the wing surface. Inspection revealed the alternate air door had broken free and was sucked down the intake to the fuel controller, restricting the air flow. Only two hours had elapsed since the annual inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5242T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7235203
- Airframe hours
- 4,483
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- J. R. Mccausland/K. A. Larson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 1989 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- DPA · West Chicago, IL
- Destination
- 3KM · Wichita, KS
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DPA · Dupage
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 740 total · 320 in this make and model · 59 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 1 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 N5242T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.