- Date
- May 10, 1992, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Harvard, IL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3688TTaylorcraft F19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920510013899A
- Case key
- 15289
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 control of the aircraft during the initial climb out. A related factor is the pilot's lack of recent experience.
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/airplane co-owner departed for a local flight with one of his brothers as a passenger. Shortly after takeoff witnesses observed the airplane in a steep, spiraling descent into the ground. The airplane impacted the ground in an open field less than one mile from the airport. Post-accident investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact malfunction. The airplane had operated 13 hours since the most recent annual inspection which was completed about 7 1/2 months prior to the accident. A surviving brother/airplane co-owner reported neither the airplane nor the pilot had flown for about 4 1/2 months before the day of the accident. The fuel tanks contained a combination of 80 octane aviation fuel and automobile gasoline.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3688T
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft F19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-095
- Airframe hours
- 539
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wottreng, Thomas C. & Nicholas
- Registered owner
- Wottreng, Thomas C. & Nicholas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 24, 1991 · 13 hours before
- Airport
- 0C0 · Dacy, runway 14, 2,760 × 100 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 180 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 28 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.