Piper PA-28R accident near Havana, Illinois, April 26, 1983
On April 26, 1983 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R, registered N7670J, was destroyed in an accident near Havana, Illinois (Havana airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- April 26, 1983 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Havana, Illinois · Havana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R · all PA-28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N7670J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-31069
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO AROUND WHEN THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE BUT TWO OFTHE LANDING GEAR LIGHTS ON. THE APPROACH WAS TO RUNWAY 9 IN A CROSSWIND FROM 170 DEGREES AT 18 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 24 KTS THE PILOT DESCRIBED IT AS A BAD CROSSWIND. AFTER HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND HE SAID A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT HIM AND THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLIMB. THE ACFT HIT THE GROUND AT THE TOP OF A HILL NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. A CONTINUITY CHECK OF THE LANDING GEARWARNING SYSTEMS(LIGHTS-HORN)REVEALED NO MALFUNCTIONS.
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: 169 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 117 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1982; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2H0 Shelbyville IL at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,200 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:48 pm from PIA, 30 miles away
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.