Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Willard Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Champaign, Illinois 61874
Wednesday, September 24, 1997 9:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instructor pilot (CFI) said that they were 4 miles from the airport, and in radio contact with the control tower, when the airplane's engine began to run rough and the rpm dropped from 2500 to 2200 rpm. The CFI notified the control tower and requested a closer runway. The CFI trouble shot the problem, but said '. . . nothing worked, and the rpm dropped to 2000. . . . Oil began to cover the windscreen and [oil] pressure dropped to zero. [The] rpm was decreasing and I believed seizure was eminent.' The CFI 'pulled the mixture to lean' and attempted to glide to the runway, but noted that he was low in altitude. 'I sidestepped to aim for the grass and avoid [the runway] lighting and the localizer. I couldn't make the grass, so I landed in the corn.' Examination of the engine revealed that all eight valve lifters were broken. Examination of the lifters and lifter pieces showed brittle fractures due to overload. Some areas on the lifter faces showed evidence of heavy loading from the camshaft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
an undetermined engine and/or oil system failure that resulted in an oil leak and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was: high vegetation (corn crop) in the emergency landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/24/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CHAMPAIGN |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61874 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WILLARD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CMI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 220 |
| Airport Elevation | 754 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 951 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CMI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 754 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 791 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 635 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 24 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1851Z |
| NTSB Number | CHI97LA299 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | C23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C23 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | M2343 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 14 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 67 |
| Airframe Hours | 4653 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1 AIRPORT ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAVOY |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 61874 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CMI |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14R |
| Runway Length | 8100 |
| Runway Width | 140 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |