- Date
- June 1, 1992, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Round Lake, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N812PCPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920601017399A
- Case key
- 15455
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-in-command's failure to follow emergency procedures, and the fire in the electrical system for reasons undetermined.
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
Approximately five minutes after takeoff, while in cruise flight, smoke appeared from the right side of the instrument panel. The pilot initiated a forced landing in an open farm field. Prior to touchdown flames were present in the cockpit. After the landing, the pilot exited the airplane, with minor injuries. The airplane continued to burn. A subsequent examination failed to reveal the source where the fire originated. The pilot described the origin to be an electrical fire; however, during the emergency procedures he made no attempt to disengage the master switch.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N812PC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 76-80250
- Airframe hours
- 3,906
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bitton, Daniel A., doing business as D B Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1992 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- 10C · Wonder Lake, IL
- Destination
- UGN · Waukegan, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,765 as pilot in command · 185 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 27 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.
Other investigations on N812PC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.