Cessna 150 incident near Grayslake, Illinois, February 17, 2009
On February 17, 2009 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N747KA, was involved in an incident during maneuvering near Grayslake, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the number 1 cylinder intake valve which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. Contributing to the incident was the failure of the operator to maintain the engine per manufacturer's recommendations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2009 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grayslake, Illinois · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 L · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N747KA · no longer on the register · serial 15073454
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot rented the airplane for a local flight with the passenger. While maneuvering, the airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power and the pilot could not maintain altitude. The pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing to a frozen lake and landed uneventfully. Examination of the engine revealed that the Number 1 cylinder intake valve had fractured. The cause of the failure could not be determined. The operator exceeded the engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhaul by over 1,600 hours. However, because the operator operated under Part 91, they were not subject to the Federal regulations that require compliance with manufacturers' recommended maintenance instructions.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,808 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 184 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 6,240 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 18, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,597 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 6, 2009; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PWK Wheeling IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.