On August 21, 1996, a Piper J3C-65 (registration N23176) was involved in an aviation accident near Urbana, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed. A factor was the diverted attention of the pilot. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a third passenger flight, the pilot detected an unusual engine noise while climbing. He attempted to return to the departure airport but lost control during the turn and crashed into a cornfield.
What happened
The pilot was operating the aircraft for a series of passenger flights, conducting what would be the third ride of the day. During the climb phase of this particular flight, the pilot noticed an unusual sound coming from the engine. Despite this indication, he continued to climb and informed his passenger that he intended to return to the airport.
The pilot then initiated a turn to land in the opposite direction on the runway from which he had just departed. At approximately the 180-degree point of this maneuver, the airplane departed controlled flight. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain in a nearby cornfield.