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CHI92FA067

1992-01-04 · PEKIN, Illinois, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PIA

N345CC has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (ZENITH STOL CH 750, built 2021), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO USE THE AIRPLANE'S ANTI-ICE/DE-ICE SYSTEM RESULTING IN A BUILD-UP OF ICE OVER THE AIRPLANE'S SURFACE AREA AND RESULTANT LOSS OF CONTROL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER IT'S CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT, AND THE ICING CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

DURING THE WX BRIEFING AT CHICAGO, THE PILOT WAS PROVIDED PILOT REPORTS OF AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERING ICING IN THE VICINITY OF CHICAGO, WEST CHICAGO, AND SPRINGFIELD. HE WAS ALSO GIVEN THE DESTINATION SURFACE TEMP/DEWPOINT OF 33/31. WHILE BEGINNING THE APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AT AN INITIAL APPROACH ALTITUDE OF 2,400 FT, THE FRONT LEFT SEAT PILOT STATED SHE OBSERVED ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WINGS. IN ADDITION, THE REAR LEFT SEAT PAX STATED THAT SHE REMEMBERS THE REAR RIGHT SEAT PAX/PILOT LOOKING AT THE WINGS WITH A FLASHLIGHT, AND RECALLED OBSERVING 'ICE CURVED OVER THE TOP OF THE WING...'. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS APRX 245 LBS OVER MAX GROSS WEIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_CHI92FA067.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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