Beech C23 accident near Champaign, Illinois, September 24, 1997
On September 24, 1997 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N1851Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Champaign, Illinois (Willard airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an undetermined engine and/or oil system failure that resulted in an oil leak and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was: high vegetation (corn crop) in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1997 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Champaign, Illinois · Willard · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N1851Z · registry record · serial M2343
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor pilot (CFI) said that they were 4 miles from the airport, and in radio contact with the control tower, when the airplane's engine began to run rough and the rpm dropped from 2500 to 2200 rpm. The CFI notified the control tower and requested a closer runway. The CFI trouble shot the problem, but said '. . . nothing worked, and the rpm dropped to 2000. . . . Oil began to cover the windscreen and [oil] pressure dropped to zero. [The] rpm was decreasing and I believed seizure was eminent.' The CFI 'pulled the mixture to lean' and attempted to glide to the runway, but noted that he was low in altitude. 'I sidestepped to aim for the grass and avoid [the runway] lighting and the localizer. I couldn't make the grass, so I landed in the corn.' Examination of the engine revealed that all eight valve lifters were broken. Examination of the lifters and lifter pieces showed brittle fractures due to overload. Some areas on the lifter faces showed evidence of heavy loading from the camshaft.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 354 hours in all; 288 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 281 as pilot in command; 136 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,653 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 14, 1997; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMI IL at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14R, 8,100 ft by 140 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from CMI, 1 miles away
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.