An amateur-built aircraft accident near Sandwich, Illinois, December 18, 1982
On December 18, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a an amateur-built aircraft (helicopter), registered N9354A, was destroyed in an accident near Sandwich, Illinois (Sandwich airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- December 18, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sandwich, Illinois · Sandwich · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- An amateur-built aircraft
- Registration
- N9354A · no longer on the register · serial 41325
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ROTORCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY VERY HARD WITH NO FLARE AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT 100-200 FEET AGL. THE PILOT HAD NO TRAINING IN THIS AIRCRAFT. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK AND NO FUEL ODORS WERE PRESENT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUELSYSTEM, ENGINE AND COMPONENTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 141 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 141 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RW133 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C48 Sandwich IL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: C48 Sandwich IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.