Waco CTO accident near Shelbyville, Illinois, August 7, 2005
On August 7, 2005 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Waco CTO, registered N7446, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shelbyville, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise due to carburetor ice. A factor was conditions conducive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2005 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco CTO · all CTOs on the register
- Registration
- N7446 · registry record · serial A-19
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with crops and terrain during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot stated, "There were only wooded areas and farm fields with near mature crops in the vicinity. My only practical choice of terrain for landing was either a generally level soy bean field or a corn field. I decided to land on a farm in a soy bean field. I made a slow landing which was appropriate to the soft and "grabby" nature of the vegetation. The landing rollout was approximately 100 feet and was straight, but at the end with the beans being full and of different heights, some around four feet tall, the uneven drag on the wings caused the plane to slowly turn to the left with the right lower wring becoming entangled in the beans. Both upper and lower wings are attached to each other through brace wires and struts and both right wings and right side of the center section were damaged. ... The airplane did not tumble, but simply stopped right side up in a slight nose down attitude. I was wearing both the seat belt and shoulder harness installed in the airplane and was not injured ... ." An examination of wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The temperature and dew point at an airport in the area was: Temperature 28 degrees C; dew point 17 degrees C. The temperature and dew point were plotted on a Transport Canada icing chart and their intersection fell in the serious icing - descent power area of the chart.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,122.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 0.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright J4-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2H0 Shelbyville IL at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from DEC
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.
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.