- Date
- November 21, 1989, 21:43 local (Nov 22, 1989, 03:43 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe Center, IL
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9465WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891121046329A
- Case key
- 14516
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
In-flight fire initiated by an inadequately installed wiring harness and propagated by an existing fuel leak which was not repaired.
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
Non-instrument rated private pilot took off in IMC conditions at night; crashed 9 minutes later. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft in a steep dive, on fire, prior to impact. Extensive fire damage interior cabin. No evidence of insulation grommet at frame penetration of main wiring harness, or cable insulation from this point to battery. Battery box bulged out all sides, black & charred. Wing spar web melted and missing from where elect fuel pump attaches to spar to right side wing attach point. Alum wiring replaced during last annual 4/29/89. Log sheet entry 11/18/89 'bad gas smell!'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9465W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-11189
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harris Int'L Flying Club, doing business as Harris Int'L Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 29, 1989
- Departed
- RFD · Rockford, IL
- Destination
- BMI · Bloomington, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 134 total · 20 in this make and model · 89 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 5 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.