Piper PA-22 accident near Joilet, Illinois, May 16, 1982
On May 16, 1982 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N3723Z, was destroyed in an accident near Joilet, Illinois (Joilet airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- May 16, 1982 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Joilet, Illinois · Joilet · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N3723Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-7597
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION, A FIRE STARTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FLOORBOARD AGAINST THE FIREWALL. THE PILOT TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND BEFORE LANDING, SHUT OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR. AFTER LANDING, THE OCCUPANTS EGRESSED AND THE PLANE CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ARRIVED AND APPLIED DRY CHEMICALS. DURING AN INVESTIGATION, A FUEL LINE WAS FOUND WITH AREAS OF THINNING. THIS LINE WAS ROUTED FROM THE FIRE WALL TO THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE ON THE LEFT SIDE O THE CABIN. THIS AREA HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT DURING THE FIRE. A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF IGNITION WAS A POWER SUPPLY FOR THE RADIO, WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE FIRE WALL UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL JUST ABOVE THE FUEL LINE. AN INTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE POWER SUPPLY UNIT SHOWED AN AREA OF INTENSIVE HEAT AROUND THE RELAY ASSEMBLY. ACCORDING TO AN ENGINEERING REPORT, THE WALL THINNING OF THE FUEL LINE (MADE FROM ALUMINUM ALLOY 3003) WAS A RESULT OF LOSS OF MATERIAL AT THE INNER SURFACE
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: 112 hours in all; 112 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 84 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,825 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 111 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Dekalb IL at 12:45 pm
- Destination: Joilet IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,452 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.