Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Il Valley Parachute Club Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Minier, Illinois 61759
Monday, October 23, 2000 16:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane encountered an in-flight loss of engine power and sustained substantial damage on contact with terrain during a forced landing in a plowed field. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot stated, "The takeoff went normal, power from engine was 2350 RPM at full throttle fuel pressure guage showed 4.5 "(p.s.i.). At 70 M.P.H. climb speed, the engine lost power at approx. 300 ft. A.G.L. applied carb heat, pumped the throttle, ck. elect. pump on O.K. - no power - turned 45 [degrees] landed. In field. (Plowed fld.)" An on-scene examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. All the spark plugs were found covered with "black soot looking deposits." The temperature was 24 degrees C and the dew point was 16 degrees C. A copy of a Transport Canada Carburetor Icing chart was reviewed. The temperature and dew point were plotted on the chart and their intersection falls in the moderate icing - cruise power or serious icing - descent power area of the chart.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the carburetor ice and after takeoff, the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during the forced landing. Factors were the carburetor icing conditions and the plowed field condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/23/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | MINIER |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61759 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | IL VALLEY PARACHUTE CLUB |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 81IL |
| 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 | 225 |
| Airport Elevation | 646 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 79 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BMI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 871 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 75 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 61 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10795 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 24 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1545 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 23 2001 10:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N94176 |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA023 |
| 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 | Ercoupe |
| Aircraft Model | 415-E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 415-E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1499 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1405 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 15 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 97 |
| Airframe Hours | 3615 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | THOMAS T. FITZGERALD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3103 WOODWARD STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRINGFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 62703 |
| 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 | 81IL |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SPI |
| Destination City | SPRINGFIELD |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 4 2001 4:45AM |
| 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 | -- |