Amateur-built HAWK accident near Noble, Illinois, July 27, 1982
On July 27, 1982 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built HAWK, registered N72HQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Noble, Illinois (Olney-Noble airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1982 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Noble, Illinois · Olney-Noble
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HAWK
- Registration
- N72HQ · registry record · serial 11966721
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 30 MIN AFTER TAKING OFF ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND WAS PREPARING TO TURN ONTO A CROSSWIND LEG, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO A RUNWAY, BUT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A BEAN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE MAIN GEAR ENCOUNTERED THE BEANS AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ABOUT 5 GAL OF FUEL WAS REMAINING IN THE FUEL TANK. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE CARBURETOR HOSE WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST STACKS. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO LACK OF FUEL, POSSIBLY FROM A VAPOR LOCK; HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT VERIFIED.
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: 101 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 75 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLY Noble IL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: OLY Noble IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 105° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 185°F (85°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 CHI82DA283.