What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flying very low, engine sputtered, right wing tip caught ground, right wing ripped off, engine ripped off and acft impacted with ground (according to witness), 2 fatalities. (.19) on July 17, 1999, at 1300 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N5054F, piloted by a private rated pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with the terrain near Yorkville, Illinois. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and had a flight plan on file with dayton flight service station (fss). The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed cincinnati blue ash airport, cincinnati, Ohio, at exact time unknown, and was en route to naper aero airport, naperville, Illinois, at the time of the accident. Witnesses stated that the airplane was flying northbound at an altitude described as being "three stories" above ground level (AGL). The witnesses stated that the airplane then turned toward the east before losing sight of the aircraft. The witness reported that the airplane's engine was operating before the turn toward the east. Individuals, near the site of the accident, reported heavy rain showers around the time of the accident. A weather observation station, located eight nautical miles southwest of the accident site, reported scattered clouds at 900 feet AGL, a broken ceiling at 1,800 feet AGL, overcast at 2,500 feet AGL, and 1 3/4 statute miles visibility, with the winds 270-degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. An examination of the wreckage was conducted on July 18, 1999. Control continuity was established for the pitch, roll, and yaw axis. Engine continuity was established, propeller blades exhibited scratching in the plane of rotation, and gauges were found on the leading edge of the propeller blades. (-23)the PIC had filed a VFR flight plan between cincinnati blue ash airport, Ohio and naper aero airport, Illinois. The non-instrument-rated private pilot continued into deteriorating weather conditions towards his destination. At approximately 1245 CDT, the PA-28-181 collided with the terrain near Yorkville, Illinois. Witnesses observed heavy rain showers and an area weather observation station reported lowest coluds at 900 feet AGL and 1 3/4 statute miles visibility near the location and time of the accident. Rad ar reports show the aircraft entering an area of heavier precipitation prior to striking the ground. Prliminary investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the aircraft. The PIC and his sole passenger received fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
FLYING VERY LOW, ENGINE SPUTTERED, RIGHT WING TIP CAUGHT GROUND, RIGHT WING RIPPED OFF, ENGINE RIPPED OFF AND ACFT IMPACTED WITH GROUND (ACCORDING TO WITNESS), 2 FATALITIES. (.19) ON JULY 17, 1999, AT 1300 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-181, N5054F, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE RATED PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN NEAR YORKVILLE, ILLINOIS. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND HAD A FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE WITH DAYTON FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS). THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED CINCINNATI BLUE ASH AIRPORT, CINCINNATI, OHIO, AT EXACT TIME UNKNOWN, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO NAPER AERO AIRPORT, NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING NORTHBOUND AT AN ALTITUDE DESCRIBED AS BEING "THREE STORIES" ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE THEN TURNED TOWARD THE EAST BEFORE LOSING SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS OPERATING BEFORE THE TURN TOWARD THE EAST. INDIVIDUALS, NEAR THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT, REPORTED HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION, LOCATED EIGHT NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 900 FEET AGL, A BROKEN CEILING AT 1,800 FEET AGL, OVERCAST AT 2,500 FEET AGL, AND 1 3/4 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY, WITH THE WINDS 270-DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONDUCTED ON JULY 18, 1999. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE PITCH, ROLL, AND YAW AXIS. ENGINE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED, PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED SCRATCHING IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION, AND GAUGES WERE FOUND ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES. (-23)THE PIC HAD FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN BETWEEN CINCINNATI BLUE ASH AIRPORT, OHIO AND NAPER AERO AIRPORT, ILLINOIS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT CONTINUED INTO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS TOWARDS HIS DESTINATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 CDT, THE PA-28-181 COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN NEAR YORKVILLE, ILLINOIS. WITNESSES OBSERVED HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND AN AREA WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION REPORTED LOWEST COLUDS AT 900 FEET AGL AND 1 3/4 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY NEAR THE LOCATION AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. RAD AR REPORTS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT ENTERING AN AREA OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION PRIOR TO STRIKING THE GROUND. PRLIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC AND HIS SOLE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.