Lantzair Flyers INC LANCAIR 360 accident near Joliet, Illinois, January 2, 2009
On January 2, 2009 at about 2:48 am local time, a Lantzair Flyers INC LANCAIR 360, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N3603R, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Joliet, Illinois (Joliet Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate flying speed during the night takeoff for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2009 · about 2:48 am local time
- Place
- Joliet, Illinois · Joliet Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lantzair Flyers INC LANCAIR 360, amateur-built
- Registration
- N3603R · no longer on the register · serial 238-320-007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed with 4 to 5 gallons of fuel on board following a 4.5-hour cross-country flight. After landing, the pilot made numerous attempts to locate fuel in order to continue the flight so that his passenger could be at work in the morning. The pilot left a note and money after having siphoned fuel from another airplane parked at the airport. After about 2 hours and 45 minutes on the ground, the airplane took off again. Impact marks indicate that the airplane stalled during the takeoff, impacting the terrain with the left wing prior to catching fire and coming to rest inverted. The accident occurred at night as the airplane was departing on the second leg of a cross-country flight. Calculations show that the airplane was slightly over the maximum gross takeoff weight and the center of gravity (CG) was slightly aft of the aft limit at the time of the accident. A pilot of another single-engine airplane, who landed a few minutes after the accident airplane landed, and who took off about 30 minutes later (which would have been about 2 hours before the accident) reported that he had to wipe a “slight frost buildup” off of his wings and tail with a towel prior to takeoff. The investigation could not determine whether the slight frost, slight overgross condition, or slight aft CG contributed, either individually or in combination, to the aerodynamic stall of the airplane. Additionally, several people reported that it was not uncommon to see deer on the airport property and one person reported seeing many deer on the runway earlier in the day prior to when the pilot landed; however the investigation could not determine whether deer were present on the runway at the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › CG/weight distribution › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,425 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,446 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 13, 2008; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: JOT Joliet IL at 2:48 am
- Destination: RYV Watertown WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12, 3,228 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from JOT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3603R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.