Piper PA-J3-C65 accident near Sparta, Illinois, July 9, 2002
On July 9, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-J3-C65, registered N7744B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparta, Illinois (Sparta Community Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The CFI's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll and the unsuccessful attempt at a go around. A factor was the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Illinois · Sparta Community Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-J3-C65
- Registration
- N7744B · registry record · serial 43-570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted a ditch during landing roll. The CFI reported that the flight was an introductory tail wheel instructional flight. He reported, "Student pilot flew aircraft under my direction through several flight maneuvers for initial orientation. He also approached the airport for our initial landing on runway 27 at SAR. Upon turning final for the runway I took full control of the aircraft to demonstrate a 3 point landing. All went well until aircraft started an uncontrollable right turn on the runway. I applied full opposite control but was unable to recover so I chose to initiate a go around but could not gain flying speed before encountering a drainage ditch adjacent to the runway. Power was removed and aircraft was damaged in the drainage ditch."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,450 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8FJ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAR Sparta IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.