Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Day an Airplane Crashed in Springdale, Illinois: Piper PA-28, Circle Air Fly, N98008

In 1971, a teenage pilot and two friends decided to fly a rented plane over the western suburbs. But, the flight was to end in tragedy. 

By all accounts, July 28, 1971 was a beautiful summer day … 76 degrees with 12-mile visibility. So, it was not surprising that a teenage pilot from La Grange would go to Midway Airport with two schoolmates and rent a small Piper Cherokee from the Circle Air Flying Club to which he belonged.

After all, the pilot had held his license for over a year and, with one of the other boys, he had previously flown to and from the Bahamas without incident.

The pilot did not file a flight plan, nor was one required. However, toward dusk the plane with the three young men, all students at Lyons Township High School, were spotted over the school’s south campus heading south. Then, as one witness described it, the plane’s engine “coughed and sputtered”, after which the single-engine aircraft briefly touched down on one of the school’s baseball fields.  


The plane reportedly bounced back 50 feet into the air, passed over a row of houses and ended up in the backyard at 106 W. 51st Street. There, the front portion of the fuselage slammed into the home’s sliding glass patio doors, showering the recreation room with bricks and glass.


Read more and photo gallery:  http://westernsprings.patch.com

http://www.ntsb.gov


NTSB Identification: CHI72FEE09
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28, registration: N98008
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 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1788  71/7/28    WESTERN SPGS,ILL    PIPER PA-28         CR-  1  0  0  NONCOMMERCIAL             PRIVATE, AGE 17, 161
        TIME - 1915                    N98008              PX-  0  2  0  PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP  TOTAL HOURS, 84 IN TYPE,
                                       DAMAGE-DESTROYED    OT-  0  0  0                            NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
        NAME OF AIRPORT - HINSDALE
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          CHICAGO,ILL                 LOCAL
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION                            IN FLIGHT: OTHER
           STALL                                                    IN FLIGHT: OTHER
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PERSONNEL - MAINTENANCE,SERVICING,INSPECTION: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
           POWERPLANT - IGNITION SYSTEM: SPARK PLUG
           POWERPLANT - EXHAUST SYSTEM: MANIFOLDS
           PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO OBTAIN/MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED
        FACTOR(S)
           MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - UNWARRANTED LOW FLYING
        PARTIAL POWER LOSS - PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER - 1 ENGINE
        EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES - FORCED LANDING OFF AIRPORT ON LAND
        REMARKS- EX PIPE NOT ATTACHED NR 2 CYL,BOTH NUTS MISSING.OIL LOW PORTION NR 3 CYL,SPARK PLUG WET.HIT HOUSE.