Piper PA-24-180 accident near Danville, Illinois, November 28, 1987
On November 28, 1987 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N5611P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Danville, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 1987 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Danville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5611P · registry record · serial 24-679
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE ACFT WAS FLOWN FROM DANVILLE TO ROCHELLE, IL. WHILE ON A RETURN FLT WITHOUT REFUELING, THE ENG BEGAN LOSING POWER, SO THE PLT MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RGT TANK (WHICH INDCD 1/4 FULL) & POWER WAS RESTORED. HOWEVER, ABOUT 2 MIN LATER, THE ENG LOST ALL POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART. THE PLT MADE AN EMERG LANDING ON A ROAD, BUT SAID HE DELAYED EXTENDING THE GEAR UNTIL THE ACFT WAS CLEAR OF POWER LINES. HE INITIATED GEAR EXTENSION, BUT THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN BEFORE THE GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT SETTLED & SKIDDED TO A STOP ON ITS BELLY. AN EXAM OF THE FUEL SYS REVEALED NO FUEL WAS REMAINING.
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: 329 hours in all; 329 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,879 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1985; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 12C Rochelle IL
- Destination: DNV Danville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from CMI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N5611P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI88LA031.