Casualties unknown

Emergency Practice Leads to Crash Landing After Engine Shutdown (N1700W)

Kankakee, IL, US

On June 4, 1984, a Piper PA-23-160 (registration N1700W) operated by Rusk Aviation,inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Kankakee, IL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot practicing emergency procedures shut down the left engine, then could not restart it due to low battery power, leading to a crash landing after failing to lower the landing gear in time.

Flight and Emergency Practice

After departing the airport, the pilot chose to practice emergency procedures. Approximately 4 miles south of the airport at 4,000 feet MSL, he shut down and feathered the left engine. He then attempted to restart the engine but reported that the battery did not have sufficient power to turn the engine over fast enough for a restart. After several unsuccessful restart attempts, he turned toward the airport to land with the left engine feathered.

Landing Gear and Approach Challenges

The aircraft was equipped with only one engine-driven hydraulic pump, which was driven by the left engine. With the left engine shut down, the pilot had to lower the hydraulically operated landing gear using a hand pump. During an approach to Runway 22, he did not allow enough time to pump the gear down, so he decided to land on Runway 34. He applied full power to the right engine but could not maintain his altitude, causing him to tighten up the pattern.

Crash Landing

The pilot stated that he did not have enough altitude to get the aircraft lined up before it hit the ground, wing tip first. The aircraft crash-landed on the right side of Runway 34, slid across the runway, and came to rest on the opposite side. The pilot had a total of 0.6 hours in the make and model.

Probable Cause

The source does not provide an explicit probable cause statement.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001214X39848. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.