Amateur-built Varieze accident near Gary, Indiana, April 15, 2002
On April 15, 2002 at about 2:00 am local time, a amateur-built Varieze, registered N97JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gary, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane during the forced landing due to a locked brake. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the light pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2002 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Gary, Indiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Varieze
- Registration
- N97JW · registry record · serial 2103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane contacted a light pole during a forced landing following a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane was topped off with fuel (31 gallons) prior to the four leg cross country flight. The pilot reported that on departure for the last leg the airplane veered right during the takeoff roll. Upon reaching his destination airport, he aborted the landing due to a lack of directional control. He then decided to fly to a larger near-by airport. Prior to reaching this airport, the engine lost power. The pilot selected a street on which to make a forced landing. He reported that during the landing the airplane "Veered to the right, having spun clockwise relative to the forward vector. The plane struck a city light pole." The pilot used a fuel burn of 4.5 gallons per hour based on a Continental C-85 engine. However, the engine had been modified with a crankshaft, pistons, and rods for a O-200 engine. The pilot reported that after the accident, he estimated that he burned approximately 50 percent more fuel than he calculated. Following the accident the right brake rotor was found bent and locked against the caliper. The pilot speculated that he may have hit something during the last takeoff roll.
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: 196 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 158 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 290 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental c-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 9:50 pm
- Destination: 05C Griffith IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from GYY
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.
Other NTSB records under N97JW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.