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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1993 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Canton, Illinois · Canton Ingersoll · 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.
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.