Varga 2180 N686EE
1 September 1991 · Decatur, Illinois, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 September 1991 at about 21:37 local time, a Varga 2180 registered N686EE, operated by Illinois Wing Civic Air Patrol, was involved in an accident near Decatur, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:37
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Decatur, Illinois, United States
- Nearest airport
- Decatur (DEC)
- Coordinates
- 39.8498, -88.9297
- Aircraft
- Varga 2180
- Registration
- N686EE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Illinois Wing Civic Air Patrol
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Hilvety
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI91LA279
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION AND AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE DATA NOT UNDERSTOOD BY THE PILOT. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION, DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION, AND THE OPERATOR'S INSUFFICIENT STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB FROM TAKEOFF WITH A SAILPLANE IN TOW. THE SAILPLANE RELEASED FROM THE TOW PLANE AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE DURING INITIAL CLIMB AND THE AIRPLANE SANK INTO TREES ONE MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. IN AN INTERVIEW AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT DID NOT REMEMBER DOING A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION BEFORE TAKEOFF. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT STALL RECOGNITION AND RECOVERY THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THAT YOU ONLY HAD TO HOLD THE NOSE UP AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD FLY ITSELF OUT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 2500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Varga 2180 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 1996 | Varga 2180A | Peoria, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 31 Jul 1982 | Varga 2180 | Arlington, Tennessee, United States | Curtis R. Merkel | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Nov 1991 | Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Simmons Airlines Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Dec 1991 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 1991 | Enstrom F28 | Hampshire, Illinois, United States | Asteroid Helicopter Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1991 | Piper PA-12 | Roscoe, Illinois, United States | Robert L. REX | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 May 1991 | Cessna 172N | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Chicago Skyline, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 1991 | Cessna C-210G | Freeport, Illinois, United States | Schwinn, Phillip C. | No injuries | - |