Beechcraft C23 N1851Z
24 September 1997 · Champaign, Illinois, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 September 1997 at about 14:30 local time, a Beechcraft C23 registered N1851Z was involved in an accident near Champaign, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Champaign, Illinois, United States
- Nearest airport
- Willard (CMI)
- Coordinates
- 40.0596, -88.2510
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft C23
- Registration
- N1851Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA299
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft C23 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Terlingua, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Corona, California, United States | Air Accord | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Athens, Georgia, United States | SAM H. Morton | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Nov 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Cameron, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Lincolnton, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 1997 | Beechcraft C23 | Torrance, California, United States | Shimpei Matsumoto | Fatal | 4 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 1997 | Snow S2C | Viola, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1997 | Waco UPF-7 | Springfield, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Kearns RV-6 | Harrisburg, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 1997 | Champion 7KCAB | Hampshire, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1997 | Piper PA-25-235 | Hinckley, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Cessna P210 | Grayslake, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |