- Date
- October 31, 1991, 17:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place
- Zion, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5411KCessna 172P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911031048309A
- Case key
- 15268
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
Water contamination of the fuel, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the aircraft. Factors related to the accident were: darkness and obstructions (trees & transmission lines) in the emergency landing area.
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 single engined airplane was operating on an IFR flight plan and climbing through clouds shortly after takeoff. A witness heard an airplane's engine power surging and observed a bright flash at ground level shortly afterwards. Another witness observed the airplane descending and fly past him just before seeing a bright flash and hearing the crash. The airplane struck an electrical powerline and tree before colliding with the ground and sliding to a stop. An on-scene investigation revealed water in the carburetor float and accelerator pump chambers. The commutator of the turn and slip indicator's electric motor was found with a groove worn around it and a black powdery substance permeating the internal mechanism of the instrument. During an interview with the pilot, he stated that he had taken a fuel sample from each fuel sump on the airplane during his pre-flight walk around inspection. The pilot was unable to recall the events which took place after entering the clouds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5411K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stick & Rudder Club
- Registered owner
- Stick & Rudder Club
- Departed
- UGN · Waukegan, IL
- Destination
- RFD · Rockford, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- UGN · Waukegan Memorial, runway 5, 6,000 × 150 ft
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 263 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- UGN, 2 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.