Amateur-built CRAZY 8 accident near Lafayette, Indiana, July 27, 2000
On July 27, 2000 at about 1:05 am local time, a amateur-built CRAZY 8, registered N9034L, was destroyed in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Aircraft control not being maintained by the pilot during the forced landing. Factors to the accident were the engine failure due to an overtemperature, the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2000 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CRAZY 8
- Registration
- N9034L · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was performing high-speed taxi test when the airplane became airborne and entered a normal traffic pattern. A witness to the accident reported that the airplane flew an extended downwind with no anomalies noted. The witness stated that when the airplane was turning to final approach he heard a reduction in engine power and noticed the aircraft had a high rate of descent. The witness reported that the airplane descended into some trees located approximately 2,500-feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft had been issued an airworthiness certificate on the day of the accident and was on its first flight. Post-accident investigation revealed no anomalies with the airframe, including its flight control systems, which could be associated with any preexisting condition. Post-accident investigation of the aircraft engine, a Hirthmotoren 270CE180, serial number 895596, revealed that the piston of the rear cylinder had seized during the flight. Visual inspection of the piston and ring assembly revealed the piston skirt had been exposed to higher than normal operating temperatures and that the rings were seized in their respective groves. There was evidence of metal transfer from the piston onto the cylinder bore.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 320 hours in all; 288 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 26, 2000; 0 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 270CE180 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IN12 at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 171°F (77°C), dew point 145°F (63°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.