Piper PA-28-180 accident near Lansing, Illinois, November 16, 1986
On November 16, 1986 at about 9:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2311R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lansing, Illinois (Lansing Muni. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. 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
- November 16, 1986 · about 9:00 am local time
- Place
- Lansing, Illinois · Lansing Muni. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2311R · no longer on the register · serial 28-5486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD HE ENCTRD IFR CONDS AT APRX 400' AGL DRG TAKEOFF. HE ELECTED TO 'FLY OUT OF IT' & 'WAS IN THE CLEAR' AFTERCLBG TO 4500' MSL. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT & INDCD HE COULD SEE THE ARPT 'ON AND OFF' THRU BRKN CLDS. ON AN APCH TO LND, THE ACFT WAS 'IN & OUT OF IFR.' AS THE PLT WAS FLARING TO LND, THE ACFT WAS BLOWN OFF THE CENTERLINE, SO HE ELECTED TO GO ARND. HE APPLIED FULL PWR, BUT AFTER RAISING THE FLAPS, THE ACFT STRUCK THE GND BESIDE THE RWY. THE PLTSTATED THE ACDNT WAS AT 0830, BUT POLICE RPRTD IT OCCURRED AT 0300. THE PLT RPRTD A 400' CEILING & 5 MI VIS WITH FOG; 18 MI NW AT THE MIDWAY ARPT, THE WX WAS IN PART: 20,000' OVC, 6 MI VIS WITH HAZE, WND 190 DEG AT 10 KTS. AT 0950, BLOOD SAMPLES TAKEN AT A HOSPITAL SHOWED THE PLT HAD AN ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.04%. ASSUMING ALCOHOL WAS METABOLIZED AT 0.015% PER HR, HIS BLOOD/ALCOHOL LVL AT 0300 WOULD HAVE BEEN APRX 0.14%. THERE WAS NO INDCN OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AFTER THE ACDNT.MARAJUANA METABOLITES WERE FND IN HIS URINE, BUT NONE WERE FND IN HIS BLOOD. HE HAD NO NGT FLTS IN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS.
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: 170 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 84 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,670 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 1986; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3HA at 8:00 am
- Destination: 3HA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,432 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:57 am from MDW, 18 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.
Other NTSB records under N2311R 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.