Fairchild 24 C8C accident near La Fayette, Illinois, July 28, 1999
On July 28, 1999 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Fairchild 24 C8C, registered N15345, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Fayette, Illinois. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain the proper descent rate. A factor to the accident was the partial loss of engine power as a result of the exhaust valve keeper becoming unlocked, which jammed the exhaust valve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1999 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- La Fayette, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild 24 C8C · all 24 C8Cs on the register
- Registration
- N15345 · registry record · serial 2688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, at 3,000 feet mean sea level, he noticed a substantial amount of engine oil on the right windshield. The pilot stated that, approximately one minute after noticing the oil, the engine's rpm began to drop continuously. The pilot reported that, approximately two minutes after he first noticed the oil on the windshield, the engine began a gradual loss of power. The pilot stated that he positioned the aircraft into the wind and executed a forced landing onto a State Highway. The pilot stated that he flared 'as best as energy would allow and skidded 300' to [a] stop.' The pilot reported that the flare 'would not completely arrest [the] sink rate causing [the] gear to collapse.' Post accident inspection of the engine revealed a crack in the head of the number two cylinder. Cylinder number two's rocker-arm cover was removed, revealing that the exhaust valve stem keeper had become unlocked, allowing the valve to drop down into the cylinder's bore. The exhaust valve stem was found to be jammed in its guide.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,300 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Warner SS-50 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HAE Hannibal MO at 6:40 pm
- Destination: 0C0 Harvard IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from PIA, 30 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI99LA275.