Piper PA-28-140 accident near Marseilles, Illinois, August 25, 1992
On August 25, 1992, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5544J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marseilles, Illinois (Prairie Lake Hunt Club airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WAS THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1992
- Place
- Marseilles, Illinois · Prairie Lake Hunt Club · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5544J · no longer on the register · serial 28-22075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF ABOUT 1,500 FEET DOWN THE 2,140 FOOT RUNWAY. ON INITIAL CLIMB THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER AND RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT WHEN ENGINE AGAIN BEGAN TO RUN SMOOTHLY. THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED WHEN IT CONTACTED TALL GRASS IN THE OVERRUN AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WHEN IT EXITED THE OVERRUN AND ENCOUNTERED UNFAVORABLE TERRAIN.
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: 202 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 155 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,955 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 1992; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 68IL
- Destination: 1C5 Plainfield IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,140 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N5544J 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.