Piper PA-38 accident near Antioch, Illinois, July 23, 1982
On July 23, 1982 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-38, registered N2365P, was destroyed in an accident near Antioch, Illinois (Antioch airport). It was a business 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1982 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Antioch, Illinois · Antioch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38 · all PA-38s on the register
- Registration
- N2365P · no longer on the register · serial 3879A0964
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INITIATED A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF FROM A 2200 FT, WET, GRASS RUNWAY. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, HE LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO INCREASE HIS AIRSPEED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO CLIMB AS EXPECTED AND WOULD NOT CLEAR BOATS THAT WERE PARKED NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE BOATS AND THE PLANE NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK. REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT DID NOT USE FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF AND DID NOT REALIZE HOW SOFT THE RUNWAY REALLY WAS.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,557 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,304 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IL11 Antioch IL at 12:10 pm
- Destination: Janesville WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,200 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.