Bellanca 14-19-3A accident near West Chicago, Illinois, December 22, 1986
On December 22, 1986 at about 8:37 pm local time, a Bellanca 14-19-3A, registered N1253R, was destroyed in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 22, 1986 · about 8:37 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-19-3A · all 14-19-3As on the register
- Registration
- N1253R · no longer on the register · serial 4317
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0850 CST, THE PLT GOT A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT TO THE DUPAGE ARPT. AT THAT TIME, THE CURRENT DUPAGE WX WAS IN PART: PARTIAL OBSCN, 2 MI VIS WITH FOG; ALSO, THE PLT WAS GIVEN SVRL PIREPS FOR LGT TO MOD ICING IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. AT 1231, HE GOT A WX UPDATE. AT THAT TIME, THE DUPAGE WX WAS IN PART: 600' OVC, 2 MI VIS WITH FOG; THE FORECAST WAS FOR THESAME WX TO CONT WITH OCNL 1000' OVC, 4 MI VIS WITH FOG, BUT NO ICING WAS EXPECTED. AFTER ARRIVING, THE PLT MADE A VOR RWY 10 APCH, THEN CIRCLED TO LND ON RWY 28. THE TWR CTLRS RPRTD THE PLT MADE THE CIRCLING MANEUVER AT 50' TO 100' AGL, ALTHO THERE WAS A RPRTD 500' CEILING & 1-1/4 MI VIS WITH FOG. MINIMUMS FOR THE APCH WERE 500' CEILING & 1 MI VIS. DRG THE BASE TO FINAL TURN, THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GND & BURNED. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, LEADING EDGE ICE WAS FND UNDER THE UNBURNED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER & ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. AT THE TIME OF THE PLT'S LAST MED CERT ON 4/6/84, HERPRTD A TOTAL FLT TIME OF 2200 HRS. THE RGT FRONT SEAT PAX WAS A RATED PLT; HIS MED CERT WAS DATED 4/15/82.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 65 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BMI Bloominton IL at 7:37 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:40 pm from DPA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.