Piper PA-28-235 accident near West Chicago, Illinois, March 2, 1997
On March 2, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9420W, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel starvation due to the pilot's improper fuel tank selection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9420W · no longer on the register · serial 28-11128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During climbout after a touch-and-go, the airplane sustained a total loss of engine power. The airplane was landed in the grass on the airport property. No engine discrepancies were found during examination of the engine. The right main fuel tank was selected and contained approximately five quarts of fuel. The aircraft's owners manual listed the unusable fuel for all our fuel tanks on the airplane, at one pint each. The right main fuel tank gauge functioned normally following the accident, and no leaks were found in the right main fuel tank. The carburetor's fuel bowl was not compromised in the accident, and was nearly empty. The one fluid ounce of fluid removed from the carburetor fuel bowl, was one third water and two thirds gasoline.
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: 626 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 626 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 1996; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DPA
- Destination: DPA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,751 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:46 pm from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.