Piper PA-28-161 accident near Schaumburg, Illinois, April 5, 1985
On April 5, 1985 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8243S, was destroyed in an accident near Schaumburg, Illinois (Schaumburg airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
- April 5, 1985 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Schaumburg, Illinois · Schaumburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8243S · no longer on the register · serial 28-8216178
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE PRACTICING TOUCH-&-GO LANDINGS. THE CFI REPORTED THAT AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT, THE ENG LOST POWER AFTER A TOUCH-&-GO AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT AGL. A TOWN & SOME BLDGS WERE AHEAD, SO THE CFI MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO TRY TO REACH THE ONLY AVAILABLE FIELD. HOWEVER, THE ACFT MUSHED INTO TREES BEFORE HE COULD REACH THE FIELD. AN EXAM REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO AN EMPTY (LEFT) FUEL TANK. FUEL WAS STILL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. THE STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR HAD VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL BEFORE TAKING OFF. THE CFI ESTIMATED THERE WAS ABOUT 20 GAL REMAINING WITH THE LEFT TANK BEING THE FULLEST (FUEL LEVEL JUST BELOW THE TABS IN THAT TANK). THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED BY USING FUEL FROM ONLY THE LEFT TANK.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 950 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,628 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 28, 1985; 628 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Holiday Airways,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 06C
- Destination: O6C
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ORD, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.