Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sugar Grove, Illinois 60554
Sunday, February 1, 1998 15:15 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said the airplane's '...engine stopped...' during initial climbout from takeoff. He said the fuel boost pump was 'ON' and that he checked the throttle and mixture for proper position. The pilot said he turned to avoid colliding with power lines and a road. He said the engine started and ran for about 3-seconds when the airplane was about 25 ft above the ground. The pilot said he banked the airplane toward runway 09, and the engine stopped a second time. He said he '...leveled the wings and let [the] plane settle in.' On-scene investigation revealed no preaccident mechanical anomaly with the airframe or engine that would have prevented flight. The spark plugs were black and sooty. The pilot said moderate rain was falling, and the temperature and dew point were 36 and 34 deg Fahrenheit, respectively. According to icing probability charts, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to severe carburetor icing at cruise power. The airplane did not have a conventional carburetor heat system. Heat for the carburetor was obtained from the engine oil cooler that was about 14-inches forward and above the carburetor. Air flowing through the oil cooler was used to prevent carburetor ice by heating the carburetor's exterior.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate design of the carburetor heat system by the manufacturer, and subsequent carburetor ice, which resulted in loss of engine power and a forced landing. Factors relating to the accident were: carburetor icing (weather) conditions, and obstructions and uneven terrain in the emergency landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/1/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1515 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SUGAR GROVE |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60554 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1518 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ARR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 706 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| 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) | 8 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 1 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1711 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 10:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N830JT |
| NTSB Number | CHI98LA089 |
| 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 | CHINESE A/F AERO IND DEV CTR |
| Aircraft Model | PL-1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PL-1B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 61-1042 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 8 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1006 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOSEPH L. LESCH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1012 COLLEGE AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | WHEATON |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60187 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ARR |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1512 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ARR |
| 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 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |