Amateur-built COURTNEY TWO accident near Canton, Illinois, August 8, 1993
On August 8, 1993 at about 10:10 pm local time, a amateur-built COURTNEY TWO, registered N78WC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canton, Illinois (Canton Ingersoll airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during final approach to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1993 · about 10:10 pm local time · cases in 1993
- Place
- Canton, Illinois · Canton Ingersoll · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built COURTNEY TWO COURTNEY T
- Registration
- N78WC · registry record · serial 1648
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND WHEN WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MAKE AN ABRUPT RIGHT TURN JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO FLY A FEW FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY STRUCK A TREE AND A FENCE. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCOVERED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 279 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1993; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,470 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from PIA, 18 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N78WC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 14 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ingersoll Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,117 since 1982 · 250 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,050 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI93DEV01.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.