Icon A5 accident near Wheeling, Illinois, July 12, 2019
On July 12, 2019 at about 1:42 am local time, a 2018 Icon A5, registered N83BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Wheeling, Illinois (Chicago Executive 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 decision to operate the engine above its maximum continuous speed for most of the flight, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2019 · about 1:42 am local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Chicago Executive Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Icon A5, built 2018
- Registration
- N83BA · no longer on the register · serial 00051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight when the airplane had a total loss of engine power while on a 3-mile base leg for the runway at the intended destination. The airplane collided with trees and terrain during the forced landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the composite fuselage and wings. Based on recorded engine data, most of the flight was flown above the maximum continuous engine speed of 5,500 rpm and, as a result, the actual fuel consumption rate during the flight exceeded the fuel consumption rates listed in the Pilot Operating Handbook performance section. The engine operates between two modes, economy and power, which have significantly different fuel consumption rates. Although the airplane was equipped with an analog tachometer and analog fuel quantity indicator, it was not equipped to display instantaneous fuel flow rate, total fuel used, or the engine operating mode (economy vs. power). Postaccident fuel consumption calculations, based on the engine running in power mode for 68.4% of the flight and economy mode for the remaining 31.6% of the flight, suggest that the engine likely used at least 15.2 gallons of fuel. The pilot reported that the airplane’s fuel gauge indicated 17 gallons before the flight, but postacccident testing revealed that the fuel gauge consistently indicated 1.0 to 1.5 gallons more than the amount in the fuel tank. The airplane likely had 15.5 to 16.0 gallons of fuel before engine start; as such, the pilot likely departed with less fuel than he thought was on board. However, the airplane would likely have had enough fuel to complete the flight had the pilot operated the engine at or below the airplane manufacturer’s maximum continuous speed limit.
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 exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,406 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 2,706 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 29, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 82 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 11, 2018; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,510 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 912is (piston); 82 hours total
- Operator: Cg 422 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EYE Indianapolis IN at 11:32 pm
- Destination: PWK Wheeling IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from KPWK, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPWK 120152Z 08003KT 10SM CLR 19/13 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP148 T01940133=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2022. 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, 16 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation (Thomas Garritano) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Conversation (Eric Meyer) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Fueling Documentation (Eagle Creek Aviation Services) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airframe Logbook | PDF, 16 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Summary of Engine Data (Accident Flight) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Recorded Data for Accident Flight | data file | Download |
| 9 | Icon Aircraft A5 Pilot Operating Handbook (Excerpts) | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Rotax 912IS Operators Manual (Excerpts) | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Fuel Tank Test Results | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 14 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 15 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N83BA 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.