- Date
- September 21, 1991, 09:09 local (14:09 UTC)
- Place
- West Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N65729Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910921042059A
- Case key
- 36812
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 improper in-flight decision to return to the airport following a loss of engine power at a low altitude. The pilot failed to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall at an altitude insufficient for recovery. Factors contributing to the accident were the loss of engine power due to the failure of the carburetor venturi, the operator's disregard of the precision airmotive service bulletin.
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 rented N65729 from an FBO for a local flight. Witnesses stated that shortly after takeoff from runway 15, they saw the airplane trailing 'light gray smoke' and heard the engine lose power. The witnesses saw the airplane in a steep left bank turn at an altitude of between 300 and 500 feet AGL. The airplane then descended in a nose low altitude into the parking lot of an industrial plant. Post accident examination of the engine revealed the two piece carburetor primary venturi had separated from its normal mounted position and was ingested into the no. 2 cylinder. Several service bulletins had been issued by the manufacturer addressing the installation of a new one piece venturi. Precision airmotive issued service bulletin msa 2 on oct. 15 90. Review of the engine logbook for N65729 revealed service bulletin msa 2 had not been accomplished.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65729
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275839
- Airframe hours
- 3,686
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dupage Airport Authority, doing business as Planemasters Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Quenton Goblish
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 1991 · 94 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DPA · Dupage County
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 139 total · 62 in this make and model · 37 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.