# Accident 19990116000479A: Piper PA32260, Creal Springs, IL, January 16, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 16, 1999, 09:30 local time
- Place: Creal Springs, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.6093° N, 88.8302° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6093&lon=-88.8302&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3689W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3689W-2000-06-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32260
- Reported engine: LYC O540E4B5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990116000479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE COUGHED AND LOST POWER. EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WITH LEANING MIXTURE JUST PRIOR TO LOSS OF POWER. LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. COULD NOT TURN LEFT, TURNED RIGHT TO LAND IN FIELD AND CAUGHT TOP OF TREE. LOST WIND AND SPUN INTO GROUND. 2 MINOR INJURIES.(.19) ON JANUARY 16, 1999, AT 0930 CENTRAL STANDARD TIMES, A PIPER PA-32-260, N3689W, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING A COLLISION WITH TREES AND THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. (-23)AT APPROXIMATELY 0930 CST ON JANUARY 16, 1999, N3689W, A PIPER PA-32-260, WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FROM SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT (SUS), ST. LOUIS, MO TO NASHVILLE, TN (BNA), EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING NEAR CREAL SPRINGS,IL.  DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SOME TREES , DE                         STROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.  A SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION COULD NOT DETERMINE A MECHANICAL CAUSE FOR THE ENGINE POWER LOSS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI99LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA066), Jan 16, 1999: Piper PA-32-260 (N3689W), Creal Springs, IL, destroyed. Probable cause: was the pilot having the fuel tank selector in the improper position and not following the airplane manufacturer's emergency procedures to restore a loss of power. A factor in this accident was fuel…

## Other reports on N3689W (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19790801029209I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790801029209I), Aug 1, 1979: Piper PA32260 (N3689W), Flora, IN, Minor damage. Pilot landed long on short wet runway in unfavorable winds and marginal weather, ran off end of runway.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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