Piper PA-28-181 accident near Lake In The Hil, Illinois, July 7, 2007
On July 7, 2007 at about 2:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4419F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake In The Hil, Illinois (Lake In The Hills airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to achieve a proper touchdown point and delayed decision to abort the landing. Factors contributing to the accident include the chain link fence and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2007 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Lake In The Hil, Illinois · Lake In The Hills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4419F · no longer on the register · serial 28-7790027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it landed long and subsequently impacted a chain link airport perimeter fence and trees during an aborted landing on runway 26 (3,058 feet by 50 feet, asphalt). The pilot added full power, and near the end of the runway he pitched up, the airplane porpoised two or three times, and veered to the left of the runway. The airplane then pitched down and continued down the grassy slope left of the runway, where it subsequently impacted a chain link perimeter fence and trees. No mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported by the pilot. The pilot stated in his accident report that the accident could have been prevented by performing a go-around.
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: 163 hours in all; 145 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 163 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,147 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C59 Delavan WI at 1:30 am
- Destination: 3CK Lake In The Hil IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,058 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from KDPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.