Piper PA-28-161 accident near Schaumburg, Illinois, April 5, 1991
On April 5, 1991 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2366W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Schaumburg, Illinois (Schuamburg Air Park airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MECHANIC'S NOT UNDERSTANDING THE IDENTIFYING MARKS ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE MECHANIC WAS PROVIDED WITH AN IMPROPER PART.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1991 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Schaumburg, Illinois · Schuamburg Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2366W · registry record · serial 28-8516 046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE SEIZED AT 70 FEET ON TAKEOFF CLIMB, AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. THE ENGINE HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE REPLACEMENT OF THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER; NO OTHER PARTS WERE CHANGED. PAINT MARKS ON THE REPLACEMENT CYLINDER INDICATED IT HAD BEEN CHROME PLATED TO STANDARD BORE. THE 3 REMAINING CYLINDERS AND ALL PISTONS WERE MARKED 0.010 OVERSIZE. THE OPERATOR'S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE OBTAINED THE REPLACEMENT PART AND PROVIDED IT TO THE MECHANIC. THE OPERATOR'S MECHANIC STATED HE WAS UNAWARE WHAT THE CYLINDERS' COLOR MARKS SIGNIFIED AND HAD NOT MEASURED MATCHING PARTS DURING REPLACEMENT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,325 hours in all; 1,550 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 2,225 as pilot in command; 1,820 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,528 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 22, 1991; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Flyers INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from ORD, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2366W 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 CHI91LA121.