Piper PA-28RT-201T N8315S

Summary

On 20 September 1987 at about 04:15 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered N8315S was involved in an accident near Grayslake, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 September 1987 at 04:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Grayslake, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Campbell Airport (C81)

Coordinates

42.3398, -88.0295

Aircraft

Piper PA-28RT-201T

Registration

N8315S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bloomington → Grayslake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI87LA218

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT LANDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY ON A DARK NIGHT WHEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE INTENDED LANDING RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN SOFT TURF AND DURING SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL, TURNED RIGHT AND NOSED DOWN INTO A RAVINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE ONLY THREE RUNWAY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THAT HIS LANDING LIGHT DID NOT HELP IN FINDING THE RUNWAY. HE ALSO STATED THAT HIS DECISION MAKING PROCESS WAS DEGRADED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE AND STRESS CREATED WHEN HE INITIALLY SPENT ABOUT HALF AN HOUR TRYING TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.