Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Lacon, Illinois, December 13, 1993
On December 13, 1993 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N66CS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lacon, Illinois (Marshall County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT NIGHT EXPERIENCE, AND THE FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 1993 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Lacon, Illinois · Marshall County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N66CS · registry record · serial 28R7335107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER DURING A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. DURING FINAL, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO FIND HIS FLASHLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE HIT THE RUNWAY BEFORE HE HAD EXPECTED IT TO. THE PILOT'S MOST RECENT NIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WAS 4 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT PERFORMED ANY NIGHT LANDINGS WITHOUT THE AID OF INSTRUMENT AND/OR COCKPIT LIGHTING. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A CHARGE. THE ALTERNATOR'S COMMUTATOR BRUSHES AND BRUSH MOUNTS WERE WORN BELOW MANUFACTURER'S TOLERANCES. THER COMMUTATOR WAS COVERED WITH A BLACK OILY SUBSTANCE, AND BLACK DUST COVERED THE BRUSH MOUNTS AND PORTIONS OF THE COMMUTATOR.
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: 342 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 286 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,176 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 1993; 196 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flying Country Club, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CMI Champaign IL at 1:00 am
- Destination: MLI Moline IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:00 am from C75
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N66CS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI94LA054.