Cessna 170 accident near Lexington, Illinois, August 28, 1993
On August 28, 1993 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 170, registered N3825V, was destroyed in an accident near Lexington, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadequate climb airspeed by the pilot-in-command.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1993 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N3825V · no longer on the register · serial 18683
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, THE PILOT STATED, HE ENCOUNTERED '...A LITTLE AIR BUMP...' AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 65 TO 70 MPH. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOSE AIRSPEED, DECELERATING TO APPROXIMATELY 55 TO 60 MPH. UPON PITCHING DOWN TO REGAIN AIRSPEED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO THE TREES. THIS FLIGHT WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE AT ITS MAXIMUM WEIGHT.
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: 152 hours in all; 152 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 93 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,663 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1993; 119 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 13 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; not recorded at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from BMI, 13 miles away
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.
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.