Piper PA-28RT-201 accident near Dekalb, Illinois, May 8, 2004
On May 8, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201, registered N81898, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dekalb, Illinois (Dekalb Taylor Municipal 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 failure of the pilot and his flight instructor to identify the location of the relocated threshold and proper touchdown point, which resulted in the airplane striking the construction barricade while on approach. A factor to the accident was the construction barricade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dekalb, Illinois · Dekalb Taylor Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201 · all PA-28RT-201s on the register
- Registration
- N81898 · registry record · serial 28R-8018064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a runway construction barricade during a simulated forced landing on runway 20. The runway 20 threshold had been relocated 600 feet towards the departure end because of an on-going runway construction project. Both the first 600 feet of the existing runway surface and the new pavement were marked with yellow painted chevrons, indicating those portions of pavement were closed for landing, takeoff, and taxing. The pilot stated he felt the airplane "was not going to make a landing on the existing runway and would probably touchdown on a section of the new part of the runway." The pilot stated he increased the engine power in order to arrest the descent, but the airplane touched-down on the new pavement. According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), while en route his student monitored the automated surface observing system and noted "runway 20 had a 600 foot displaced threshold." Prior to the accident approach the pilot performed two approaches, both of which were made to the closed section of runway 20. The CFI reported that on the accident approach the airplane experienced a hard landing near the intersection of the new and existing pavement sections. The CFI stated that he did not notice any construction barricades positioned at the end of runway 20. The airport manager reported that a runway construction barricade, originally positioned at the intersection of the existing pavement and new pavement sections, was damaged on the day of the accident. The broken portions of the barricade were distributed in a way consistent with an airplane hitting the barricade on landing approach.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 438 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 379 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 6, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,280 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 6,022 as pilot in command; 3,615 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 25, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,107.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2004; 77.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DPA West Chicago IL at 6:20 pm
- Destination: DKB Dekalb IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,401 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from DKB
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.