Piper PA-22 accident near Roanoke, Illinois, August 2, 1987
On August 2, 1987 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N7958A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roanoke, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- August 2, 1987 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Roanoke, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N7958A · no longer on the register · serial 22349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEVELOPING AN OIL LEAK THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED ROUGH TERRAIN ON TOUCHDOWN AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FITTING ON THE OIL RETURN LINE FROM THE OIL COOLER WAS LOOSE ALLOWING THE OIL SEAL TO BACK OFF.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 640 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 570 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 1987; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RLA Washington IL at 3:20 pm
- Destination: 0C1 Pontiac IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.