Champion 402 accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, July 27, 1993
On July 27, 1993 at about 4:31 pm local time, a Champion 402, registered N9981Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana. 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 EXHAUST STACK ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1993 · about 4:31 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 402 · all 402s on the register
- Registration
- N9981Y · registry record · serial 0025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 27, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT DETERMINED A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WAS NOT POSSIBLE, SO HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A LARGE FIELD TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST STACK ASSEMBLY, CHAMPION PART NUMBER 4-1218, HAD CRACKED AND FAILED AT A WELD. THE P-LEADS WERE MELTED BY THE HOT EXHAUST GASES, SHORTING OUT THE MAGNETOS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,400 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 8,800 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 868 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from SBN, 36 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.