Piper PA-38-112 accident near Warrensburg, IL
On September 17, 1999, a Piper PA-38-112 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Warrensburg, IL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 17, 1999
- Place
- Warrensburg, IL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.931°N, 89.060°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X19701
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 17, 1999, at 1248 central daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N9575T, operated by Decatur Aviation Inc., Decatur, Illinois, was destroyed during impact with the terrain following an in-flight loss of control, near Warrensburg, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot checkride was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The private pilot candidate and FAA Designated Examiner were fatally injured. The local flight originated from the Decatur Airport, Decatur, Illinois, at 1217. A witness to the accident was working in an agricultural field approximately 1/4 statute mile from the accident site. The witness reported that, "I saw the last 200 foot of the plane crash. I think [the] plane was spinning counter clockwise dropping like a rock from the sky. It crashed nose first in the field just east of where I was sitting." The witness reported that approximately two minutes prior to the accident he, "Saw large whirl wind in S.E. [southeast] corner of our corn field. Approx[imate] size 100' tall by 40-50 ft wide with thousands of corn stalks leaves swirling in it." The witness reported that the whirlwind's size was described by one of his fellow workers, located approximately 3-statute miles from the accident site, as a "small tornado". The witness' written statement is appended to this factual report. Aircraft radar track data for the period before and after the reported accident time was obtained from FAA Air Traffic
Probable cause
Aircraft control not being maintained by the private pilot candidate and the inadequate supervision by the FAA Designated Examiner. Factors relating to the accident were the inadvertent spin, the unsuccessful remedial action attempted by the flightcrew, and the flightcrew's decision to operate the airplane over the certified maximum gross weight.
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Browse: Illinois · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
