Piper PA-38-112 accident near Harvard, Illinois, August 10, 2023
On August 10, 2023 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA-38-112, registered N2351A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Harvard, Illinois (Adkins 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff that resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with the cornfield.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2023 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Harvard, Illinois · Adkins Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112, built 1978 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2351A · registry record · serial 38-78A0649
- 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 prior to departure, he preflighted the airplane and found no anomalies. There no issues with his takeoff from the grass airstrip but once airborne, he felt uncomfortable to continue the flight due to hazy weather conditions. He then returned to the airstrip and landed without incident. He attempted a second takeoff with a left quartering crosswind, during which the airplane moved aggressively to the left. He applied additional right rudder control input, but the left turn increased, and the airplane impacted a cornfield about 1,000 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left- and right-wing spars and the fuselage. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by reducing the throttle setting or turning off the magnetos in a timely manner. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies 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
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 2, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,950 ft by 78 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 am from RFD, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2351A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA362.