Piper PA-15 accident near Decatur, Illinois, November 5, 2001
On November 5, 2001 at about 7:18 pm local time, a Piper PA-15, registered N4576H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Illinois (Decatur 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The excessive braking performed by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2001 · about 7:18 pm local time
- Place
- Decatur, Illinois · Decatur Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-15 · all PA-15s on the register
- Registration
- N4576H · no longer on the register · serial 15-350
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that during the landing rollout he applied brake pressure and, "...the brakes grabbed and caused the aircraft to go over on its nose immediately, stopping immediately, with the nose of the aircraft resting on the ground, tail in the air."
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 380 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 320 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 13, 2001
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,565 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEC Decatur IL
- Destination: DEC Decatur IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,799 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 7:20 pm from DEC
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.
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 CHI02LA032.