Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Decatur Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Decatur, Illinois 62521
Sunday, September 1, 1991 16:37 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB FROM TAKEOFF WITH A SAILPLANE IN TOW. THE SAILPLANE RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE DURING INITIAL CLIMB AND THE AIRPLANE SANK INTO TREES ONE MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. IN AN INTERVIEW AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT DID NOT REMEMBER DOING A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION BEFORE TAKEOFF. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT STALL RECOGNITION AND RECOVERY THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THAT YOU ONLY HAD TO HOLD THE NOSE UP AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD FLY ITSELF OUT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 2500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION AND AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE DATA NOT UNDERSTOOD BY THE PILOT. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION, DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION, AND THE OPERATOR'S INSUFFICIENT STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/1/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1637 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | DECATUR |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 62521 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DECATUR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DEC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 680 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1647 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DEC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 680 |
| 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 | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2500 |
| 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) | 1604 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45249 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N686EE |
| NTSB Number | CHI91LA279 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | VARGA |
| Aircraft Model | 2180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 2180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | VAC17181 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1817 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ILLINOIS WING CIVIC AIR PATROL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 310 S. MICHIGAN AVE. |
| Operator City | CHICAGO |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60604 |
| 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 | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1637 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 4K4 |
| Destination City | HILVETY |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |