Amateur-built EAA Sport Bi-Plane accident near Mazon, Illinois, May 29, 2004
On May 29, 2004 at about 12:30 pm local time, a amateur-built EAA Sport Bi-Plane, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mazon, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in a stall. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's unfamiliarity with the handling characteristics of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2004 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mazon, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EAA Sport Bi-Plane
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering. A witness reported, "I saw the plane come over the trees and it waivered and nose dived into the ground." Another witness reported the airplane appeared to be "performing maneuvers in the air above the crash site." According to the pilot's wife, the pilot had been working on the airplane and the accident occurred on the first flight since he purchased it. She stated he was "going to taxi the plane and complete short take-offs and landings to test the plane and engine." The airplane came to rest in a near vertical nose down attitude in an open field. The fuselage and empennage were folded inverted over the cockpit. Both lower wings were uniformly crushed rearward. Post accident examination of the engine and airframe failed to disclose any failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the accident.
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: 150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mazon IL at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Mazon IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 12:25 pm from JOT, 25 miles away
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 UNREG 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.