- Date
- July 14, 1991, 12:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Seneca, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7616WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910714027419A
- Case key
- 14910
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
Proper glidepath not maintained, and inadequate altitude and visual lookout by the pilot in command.
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 was on short final for landing at a private airport and struck an unmarked power line. The aircraft crashed into a creek short of the runway. Witnesses described the approach as low and flat. The power line was 28 feet above ground level, and 485 feet from the runway threshold. Examination of the pilot's log book revealed no previous recorded flights to this airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7616W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 281577
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Props & Throttles, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- LOT · Romeoville, IL
- Airport
- 2LL2 · Springbrook, runway 36, 2,500 × 100 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 59 in this make and model · 94 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.