Piper PA-28-235 accident near Monee, Illinois, March 5, 2022
On March 5, 2022 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1963 Piper PA-28-235, registered N5078M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Monee, Illinois (Bult Field 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons during a departure climb that resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2022 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monee, Illinois · Bult Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235, built 1963 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N5078M · registry record · serial 28-10111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the personal flight planned to remain in the departure airport’s traffic pattern. During the departure climb, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot preformed a forced landing on a field, and the airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain to the engine mount. The pilot stated that he had the fuel selector positioned to the left main fuel tank for the flight. Postaccident examination revealed 16 gallons of fuel in the left main fuel tank. Minimal fuel was found in the engine carburetor bowl, and no fuel in the fuel line leading to the carburetor, which was consistent with fuel starvation to the engine. There were no mechanical anomalies identified that would have precluded normal engine 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
- Fuel starvation during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 643 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,247.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 4,045 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from IGQ, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Correspondence - FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Correspondence - FAA Followup | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Correspondence - Piper Aircraft | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Log | PDF, 4 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.