Piper PA-22-108 accident near Harvard, Illinois, September 8, 1992
On September 8, 1992 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N5029Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harvard, Illinois (Dacy airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO ALIGN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WITH THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY DURING LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1992 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Harvard, Illinois · Dacy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N5029Z · registry record · serial 22-8647
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE NOSED OVER IN SOFT ROUGH TERRAIN DURING A LANDING ROLL. THE PILOT DESCRIBED HOW HE ELECTED TO LAND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SOD RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED WET, SOFT TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND NOSED OVER. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THE PILOT STATED HIGH GRASS ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE OBSCURED THE SOFT TERRAIN. HE ALSO SAID LANDING DIRECTLY INTO THE SETTING SUN RESTRICTED HIS VISION.
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: 180 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 110 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,676 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1992; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 10C Wonder Lake IL at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 105 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from JVL, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.