Zenair CH2000 accident near Springfield, Illinois, October 21, 2000
On October 21, 2000 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Zenair CH2000, registered N420ZA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Illinois (Capital 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 loose carburetor heat control clamp bolt and carburetor heat not available to the pilot. Factors were the low altitude, the carburetor icing conditions, the fence and the security gate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2000 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Illinois · Capital Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Zenair CH2000
- Registration
- N420ZA · registry record · serial 200042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a gate and a fence during a forced landing after takeoff. The pilot said that at about 450 feet agl, "...the engine started to run very erratic with an appreciable loss of thrust...." He said that the engine was not producing enough thrust to maintain level flight. A forced landing was attempted on an airport road. No mechanical malfunction was listed in the pilot's written report. The aircraft engine was examined and the nut that secures the carburetor heat control cable housing was found loose. According to the inspectors report, "... full travel of the carburetor heat valve could not be achieved." A postaccident engine run was conducted and the engine ran at idle power with "slight roughness". Engine speed was increased to 1700 rpm and a magneto check performed with the right magneto showing about a 150-rpm drop, and the left showing about a 125-rpm drop. The engine produced 2400 static rpm at full throttle. The weather report listed the temperature and dew point as 13 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius respectively. According to the Carburetor Icing chart from Transport Canada, this temperature and dew point are in the range for serious icing potential at all power settings.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 17,750 hours in all; 367 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 16,485 as pilot in command; 11,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1999; 185 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,606 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPI at 2:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 133°F (56°C), dew point 126°F (52°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from SPI
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.