Joliet Park District Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Joliet, Illinois 60431
Friday, October 26, 1984 22:25 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A PVT PLT INVITED A CFI TO ACCOMPANY THE X-COUNTRY FLT BECAUSE HE WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED AND MARGINAL WX WAS FORECAST. ON RETURN TRIP FROM ATLANTA THE CFI FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. DURING THE FLT, THE RT FUEL TANK WAS RUN DRY. UPON REACHING THE CHICAGO AREA, THE FLT WAS CLEARED DIRECT JOLIET, DIRECT DUPAGE, AND DESCEND TO 4000 FT. THE PVT PLT STATED THE CFI RELINQUISHED CONROL OF TE ACFT AFTER STATING, 'I HAVE A SEVERE CASE OF VERTIGO.' PVT PLT STATED HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REQUESTED A LANDING AT JOLIET BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL. THE FLT WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO JOLIET AFTER TE PVT PLT STATED HE COULD NOT FLY AN INSTRUMENT APCH. ARTCC INFORMED THE FLT THEY WERE 'RIGHT OVER THE AIRPORT' HOWEVER, THE PVT PLT STATED THEY NEVER LOCATED IT. HE CONTINUED THAT AFTER DESCENDING TO GROUND CONTACT ALT, THE ENG QUIT AND HE BEGAN LINING UP TO LAND ON A HWY AT WHICH TIME THE CFI 'GRABBED THE YOKE AND PUTUS INTO A STEEP TURN TO THE LEFT RIGHT INTO A GROVE OF TREES.' THE CFI WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/26/1984
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2225
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City JOLIET
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60431
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JOLIET PARK DISTRICT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID JOT
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 25
Degrees magnetic from airport 80
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2250 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 355
Weather Observation Facility ID DPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 757
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
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) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
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) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3059
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28161
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N30675
NTSB Number CHI85FA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28.7990098
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 13 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65
Airframe Hours 2938
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ANTHONY T. CAROLYN C. ROMITO
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2754 KAREN LANE
Aircraft Owner City GLENVIEW
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60025
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ATL
Departure City ATLANTA
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 11
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DPA
Destination City WEST CHICAGO
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --