Navy N3N-3 accident near Danville, Illinois, September 19, 1982
On September 19, 1982 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Navy N3N-3, registered N51H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Danville, Illinois (Vermillion County 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 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
- September 19, 1982 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Danville, Illinois · Vermillion County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navy N3N-3
- Registration
- N51H · registry record · serial 2660
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON ARRIVING AT AN AIR SHOW THE PLT WAS GIVEN ADVISORIES FOR A DOWNWIND LANDING. THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY GROUND-LOOPED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE TAILWHEEL LOCK HAD ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. THE CENTERING SPRING WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CONSISTENTLY CENTER THE TAILWHEEL POST SO THAT THE LOCK PIN COULD ENTER. IN ADDITION, THE COMPRESSION SPRING WAS TOO WEAK TO FORCE THE LOCK PIN INTO PLACE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,486 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 4,105 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-760 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Urbana IL at 11:15 am
- Destination: Danville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.