Amateur-built VARIEZE accident near Dwight, Illinois, September 2, 1995
On September 2, 1995 at about 1:45 pm local time, a amateur-built VARIEZE, registered N17BK, was destroyed in an accident near Dwight, Illinois (Dwight Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate preflight planning by the pilot. A factor associated with this accident was the pilot did not perform an aborted takeoff is sufficient time to safely stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1995 · about 1:45 pm local time · cases in 1995
- Place
- Dwight, Illinois · Dwight Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VARIEZE
- Registration
- N17BK · registry record · serial 2198
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses said the homebuilt airplane accelerated slowly during its takeoff roll. They said the airplane used almost the entire runway before lifting off. They said the airplane's landing gear, followed by its left wing, struck the corn located about 115 feet from the runway's departure end. The airplane collided with the ground about 360 feet from the beginning of the corn field and burned. According to the airport manager, the wind was coming from the south at 2 to 3 miles per hour. The builder of the airplane said the airplane required about 2,500 feet for its takeoff roll before it would lift off. The departure airport's runway was 2,368 feet long. He said it did not climb as well as other airplanes he was familiar with. A friend of the accident pilot said the airplane '...loves the ground...' during takeoff. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the engine or control system that would prevent flight.
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: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DTG at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,368 ft by 21 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Observation at 12:45 pm from ARR, 38 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17BK on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Continental O-200 329 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Dwight Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,055 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI95FA301.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.