Piper PA-28-180 accident near Rockford, Illinois, August 1, 1982
On August 1, 1982 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5286L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockford, Illinois (Cottonwood airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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
- August 1, 1982 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · Cottonwood
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5286L · no longer on the register · serial 28-4586
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE OR MUSH AFTER TAKEOFF SO THE PILOT MADE A LANDING IN A SCHOOL YARD. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION FAILURE TO REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION ALTHOUGH PILOT CLAIMED HE LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 80 LBS. BELOW MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT.
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: 170 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 110 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 872 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1C8 Rockford IL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 73C Lancaster WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 183°F (84°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:54 pm from RFD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.