Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Naperville, Illinois, January 19, 1998
On January 19, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N8277W, was destroyed in an accident near Naperville, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper preflight planning and preparation by the pilot which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Naperville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T PA-28RT-20 · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8277W · no longer on the register · serial 28R-8131007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was about 7-miles from his home airport when the '...engine began to run rough and quit.' He said he attempted to restart the engine without success. After he picked out a field for a forced landing the pilot said the engine restarted and ran rough. He said the '...prop was windmilling and the engine started sputtering just before touchdown...' on a snow-covered field. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would prevent flight. No evidence of fuel was found in the fuel tanks, on the ground near the airplane, the fuel servo, fuel manifold, or injector ports. The throttle arm was found in the 'Closed' position on the throttle body.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 616 hours in all; 271 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 563 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,744 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 4, 1997; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LL10 at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from DPA, 15 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.