Amateur-built LONG-EZ accident near Schaumburg, Illinois, August 9, 2013
On August 9, 2013 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built LONG-EZ, registered N721EZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Schaumburg, Illinois (Schaumburg Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2013 · about 6:15 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Schaumburg, Illinois · Schaumburg Rgnl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG-EZ
- Registration
- N721EZ · no longer on the register · serial 1327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, during the landing, the airplane made an uncommanded right turn. The pilot was unable to regain control of the airplane, and it departed the right side of the runway and collided with a taxiway sign. No evidence of a locked wheel was found on either the runway surface or the tire. No preimpact malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 442.2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2013; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 1,880 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 06C Schaumburg IL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 06C Schaumburg IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from ORD, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 6, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1: Damage to Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence: Dupage Fsdo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N721EZ: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C 84 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Schaumburg Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,055 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13LA482.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.