North American SNJ-5 accident near Bloomington, Illinois, September 22, 2007
On September 22, 2007 at about 9:30 pm local time, a North American SNJ-5, registered N11HP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois (Central Illinois Regional airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff roll which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2007 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois · Central Illinois Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ-5 · all SNJ-5s on the register
- Registration
- N11HP · registry record · serial 90735
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground looped during the takeoff roll. The pilot reported that the airplane started to veer to the left as he increased engine power for the takeoff roll on runway 11 (6,525 feet by 150 feet, concrete). The pilot reduced engine power to idle as the airplane departed off the left side of the runway. The right wingtip, tip rib, and aileron were damaged during the ground loop. The pilot reported that his rapid advance of engine power and inadequate use of up-elevator (backstick) contributed to the tail becoming prematurely airborne and the subsequent loss of directional control. The winds were reported to be variable at 5 knots.
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: 637 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 539 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,339 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMI Bloomington IL at 9:30 pm
- Destination: ARR Aurora IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 6,525 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from BMI
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI07CA303.