Skip to content

CHI90DEV02

1990-03-17 · SULLIVAN, Illinois, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE DURING A TURN AT LOW ALTITUDE, RESULTING IN GROUND COLLISION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SEVERITY OF THE PILOT'S INJURY WAS HIS FAILURE TO USE THE INSTALLED SHOULDER HARNESS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED REFUELING AT HIS FATHER'S FARM AND TOOK OFF TO THE WEST FROM A DIRT FIELD. AT ABOUT 25 FT AGL, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A RIGHT TURN AND REMAINED IN A BANK UNTIL IT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WINGTIP. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AS IT CARTWHEELED TO REST. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY AND HAD NO RECALL OF THE FINAL MANEUVERS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_CHI90DEV02.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers