- Date
- August 21, 1996, 18:56 local (23:56 UTC)
- Place
- Urbana, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N23176Piper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960821023879A
- Case key
- 10375
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 airspeed. A factor was the diverted attention of the pilot.
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 giving rides in the airplane, and conducting the third ride of the day. While on the climb he noticed what he thought to be an unusual engine sound. He continued the climb and told his passenger that he would return to the airport. He then initiated a turn to land in the opposite direction on the runway he had just departed. At about the 180-degree point of the turn the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain in a cornfield.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 1996, at 1856 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, N23176, sustained substantial during impact with the terrain following impact with the terrain shortly after takeoff. The airplane was departing to the east from a private turf runway eight miles north of Urbana, Illinois. The pilot suffered serious injuries while the passenger received fatal injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
During a direct interview with the pilot and in his written statement, the pilot stated that he had given two rides in the accident airplane and was climbing out to the east on the third ride, when he thought that the engine did not sound right or that he heard an unusual noise. He said that after sensing that there might be something wrong with the engine, it continued to produce power and he was still able to maintain a climb. He then told his passenger that he was going to return to the airport and at the same time initiated a turn to land to the west on the runway he had just departed from, but in the opposite direction. He said that at the 180 degree point of the turn, he remembered going down into the cornfield. He said that the airplane had been inspected in May of 1996, and since that time, he had never experienced any mechanical difficulties with the accident airplane.
Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the airplane the day after the accident and found no mechanical anomalies which they could associate with other than impact damage. There was a strong odor of fuel and no reason could be found to indicate a power loss for the engine.
The airplane wreckage was released to a representative of the owner on September 5, 1996.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23176
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2956
- Airframe hours
- 2,656
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David H. Mennenga
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 1996 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 505 total · 67 in this make and model · 412 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KCM, 8 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.