Piper PA-28-181 accident near Schaumburg, Illinois, April 16, 1995
On April 16, 1995 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8397Y, was destroyed in an accident near Schaumburg, Illinois (Schaumburg Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO ALCOHOL, HIS RESULTANT IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, AND HIS ATTEMPT TO PERFORM AN APPARENT AEROBATIC MANEUVER AT AN ALTITUDE THAT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO ASSURE RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1995 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Schaumburg, Illinois · Schaumburg Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8397Y · no longer on the register · serial 28-8190253
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE DEPARTING TO RELOCATE THE NONAEROBATIC AIRPLANE TO ANOTHER AIRPORT, THE 70-YEAR-OLD PILOT TOLD WITNESSES HE WOULD PERFORM A FLYBY. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED OVERFLYING THE RUNWAY AT LOW ALTITUDE. IT ROLLED INVERTED, AND THE NOSE DROPPED THROUGH VERTICAL AS IN A 'SPLIT-S' MANEUVER. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A WINGS-LEVEL, RIGHT-SIDE-UP ATTITUDE, HEADING OPPOSITE (180 DEGREES) TO THE DIRECTION OF INITIAL ENTRY. POST-MORTEM TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED ETHANOL LEVELS OF 96 MG/DL (0.096%) IN VITREOUS FLUID AND 24 MG/DL (0.024%) IN LIVER TISSUE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DPA Dupage Airport IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from ORD, 10 miles away
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.
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.