Pietenpol AIRCAMPER accident near Hanover, Illinois, August 20, 2023
On August 20, 2023 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 2010 Pietenpol AIRCAMPER, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N929DH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hanover, Illinois. 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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during an attempted forced landing at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2023 · about 1:00 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Hanover, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pietenpol AIRCAMPER, built 2010, amateur-built · all AIRCAMPERs on the register
- Registration
- N929DH · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 45 minutes after takeoff, the engine began to lose power and he attempted a forced landing to a hayfield. As the airplane descended toward the hayfield, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease. The airplane stalled and impacted a cornfield, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed that the fuel cap was loosely installed, and the sight glass indicated the fuel tank was nearly full. Fuel samples from the gascolator contained an unidentified white particulate, with no water detected. The throttle cable was disconnected at the carburetor; this was likely due to the fuselage separation during impact. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of pre-impact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the fuel system revealed only a small amount of fuel in the carburetor bowl; however, it could not be determined whether that resulted from impact or an in-flight lack of fuel delivery to the carburetor. Although the FAA’s Carburetor Icing Chart revealed that the reported temperature and dew point conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power, the investigation could not determine that the loss of engine power resulted from the formation of carburetor icing.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,635 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,480 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 362 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 20, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,140 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ford Model A (piston); 400 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MXO Monticello IA at 12:00 pm
- Destination: C77 Poplar Grove IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KDBQ, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDBQ 201553Z 02007KT 10SM CLR 29/25 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP181 T02940250 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane upright in cornfield, aft view
Photograph 2 – Fuselage damage
Photograph 3 - Left fuselage damage with separated throttle cable
Photograph 4 – Model A carburetor teardown; corrosion on the gas adjustment valve tip highlightedThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 30, 2025. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Probability Graph | 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
- N929DH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Pietenpol AIR CAMPER 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Pietenpol 12 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Ford Model A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Monticello Regional · departed from
- Poplar Grove Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,070 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA372.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.