Piper PA-30 accident near Aurora, Illinois, October 7, 1983
On October 7, 1983, a Piper PA-30, registered N7165Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aurora, Illinois (Auroro airport). It was a business 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
- October 7, 1983
- Place
- Aurora, Illinois · Auroro
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7165Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPROACHING THE DESTINATION ARPT THE PLT WAS ADVISED BY AURORA LOCAL CONTROL THAT THE ONLY AVAILABLE LANDING AREA WAS ANUNLIGHTED TAXIWAY, DESIGNATED TEMPORARY RWY 9/27, USED AS A DAY VFR RWY. USE OF THE TEMPORARY RWY AFTER SUNSET WAS NOT AUTHORIZED, & THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT ALL ARPT LIGHTING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ROTATING BEACON, WILL BE OFF. THE PLT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT LANDING ON THE TEMPORARY RWY WOULD BE AT THE PLT'S OWN RISK. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN 490 FT SHORT, & NORTH OF THE TAXIWAY, CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 325 FT PARALLELING THE TAXIWAY, ACROSS THE N/S TAXIWAY & STRUCK FOUR TAXI LIGHTS, VEERED LEFT & CROSSED THE N/S RWY, CROSSED THE SE CORNER OF THE TEMPORARY RWY, & OVER A GULLEY AT WHICH POINT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SEPARATED. THE TOWER HAD ISSUED A NOTAM DATED 9/2/83, EFFECTIVE 9/6/83, ADVISING OF THE CONSTRUCTION & LANDING RESTRICTIONS. TO THE BEST OF THE PLT'S RECOLLECTION HE DID NOT ASK FSS FOR A NOTAM CHECK DURING HIS PREFLIGHT BRIEFING, NOR DID THE FSS ADVISE THE PLT OF THE NOTAM.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,675 hours in all; 675 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 3,560 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,609 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Moline IL at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 2,650 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 43°F (6°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.
Other NTSB records under N7165Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.