- Date
- February 23, 1992, 14:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5309WPiper PA-28-160
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920223003289A
- Case key
- 15283
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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after encountering instrument meteorological conditions in cruise flight. Related factors are the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, the low ceiling and reduced visibility (fog).
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 non-instrument rated pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions (low ceilings and reduced visibilities in fog) while returning to the home base airport. A witness saw the airplane descend nose first into a field located about 3 miles from the destination airport. He described seeing the top of the wings and fuselage briefly before impact, and stated the airplane appeared to be almost perpendicular to the ground. Post-accident investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction. Weather at dupage county airport, 15 miles southeast of the accident site, was reported to be: sky partially obscured, 300 overcast, 1 mile visibility, fog, temperature 39 degrees fahrenheit (f), dew point 39 degrees f, winds out of 060 degrees at 12 knots. Local residents reported hearing the engine noise of a low flying airplane, and related that the weather had deteriorated rapidly that afternoon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5309W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-363
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Greiner, William J.
- Registered owner
- Greiner, William J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 1991
- Departed
- C48 · Sandwich, IL
- Destination
- LL53 · Plato Center, IL
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
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 460 total · 418 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 15 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.