Amateur-built VARIEZE accident near Kaneville, Illinois, July 8, 2019
On July 8, 2019 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1982 amateur-built VARIEZE, registered N112EZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Kaneville, Illinois (Aurora Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat while operating at low power settings in conditions conducive to the development of carburetor ice, and the subsequent total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2019 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kaneville, Illinois · Aurora Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VARIEZE No Series, built 1982
- Registration
- N112EZ · registry record · serial 43
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the experimental airplane reported that he was unable to enter the destination airport airspace, so he remained outside of the airspace at a reduced power setting. After adjusting the mixture control, the engine experienced a complete loss of power and the propeller stopped rotating. About 1,600 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot initiated a steep dive to increase airspeed and attempt to get the propeller to windmill and the engine to restart; however, the propeller would not rotate, so he pulled out of the dive about 300 ft agl and aligned with traffic on an interstate for a forced landing. During the landing, the right wing contacted a truck and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident engine test run revealed no anomalies, and the test was unable to determine why the propeller would not windmill above the published speed. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings. The pilot did not use the carburetor heat during the reduced engine power operation; therefore, it is likely that the carburetor accumulated ice, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.
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
- Fuel related during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Attempted remediation/recovery during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,028 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 8,924 as pilot in command; 1,544 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 17, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 141.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 25, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,110 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UGN Chicago/Waukegan IL at 8:37 pm
- Destination: ARR Chicago/Aurora IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 28, 2019. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Engine Run Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Varieze Airplane Flight Manual Excerpts | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | ForeFlight Tabular Data | spreadsheet | Download |
| 7 | National Weather Service Historical Observations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.