Piper PA-22 accident near Romeoville, Illinois, October 2, 1982
On October 2, 1982 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N4434A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Romeoville, Illinois (Romeoville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person 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
- October 2, 1982 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Romeoville, Illinois · Romeoville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N4434A · registry record · serial 22-3763
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLEW OVER THE AIRPORT AT NIGHT, SAW THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING. ON FINAL APPROACH, HE SAW A ROTATING BEACON AND THOUGHT AN AIRCRAFT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. AS HE CONTINUED ON FINAL, HE SAW THAT THE BEACON WAS ON A VEHICLE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED AND STARTED TO GO AROUND. HOWEVER, HE STATED THAT HE "FLEW DOWN A LITTLE WAY", THEN DECIDED TO LAND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON TURF ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THEN FLIPPED OVER. THE PLANE CAME TO REST IN A TRENCH THAT RAN PARALLEL AND NEXT TO THE RUNWAY.
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: 446 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 243 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,835 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O6C Schaumburs IL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: JHW Jamestown NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 133°F (56°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.
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.