# Incident 20000519028799I: Piper PA60601P, Danville, IL, May 19, 2000

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 19, 2000, 02:41 local time
- Place: Danville, IL
- Airport: Vermilion County
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: U9CA
- Location: 40.1998° N, 87.5952° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VERMILION RGNL (DNV), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1998&lon=-87.5952&mi=10
- Aircraft: N985JL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N985JL-2021-08-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith AEROSTAR 601P (registry code 8360608, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-601p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA60601P
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000519028799I

## Narrative

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

(-23)ON 05/19/2000, PIPER AEROSTAR AIRCRAFT N985JL, OPERATED BY USA CHARTER (U9CA), HIT SOME TREE TOPS DURING TAKEOFF FROM DANVILLA ILLINOIS (DNV) RU NWAY 16. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DNV ENROUTE TO FLINT, MICHIGAN (FNT) AT APPROX. 0241 CST WITH ONLY THE PILOT ONBOARD.  HE REPORTED A TRANSPONDER PROBLEM AND RETURNED TO DNV MAKING A MISSED APPROACH DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY.  THEN HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO FNT, BUT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO LAFAYETTE, IN (LAF) WITH AN ENGINE RUNNING HOT.  HE DIVERTED TO INDIANAPOLIS (IND) DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AT LAF.  HE REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND LANDED AT IND WITHOUT INCIDENT AT 0811Z. THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SIGNS OF TREE DEBRIS ON BOTH COWLING, THE LH OIL COOLER WAS ALMOST COVER WITH SMALL TREE LEAF.  THE NOSE LANDING AND TAXI LIGHT COVER WAS BROKEN DUE TO THE IMPACT ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF TREE LEAVES AND SMALL BRACHES.

## Other reports on N985JL (2)

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

- [Incident 19940302006069I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940302006069I), Mar 2, 1994: Piper PA60601P (N985JL), Little Rock, AR, Minor damage. Left gear door struck the ground while taxiing clear of runway. Gear door did not cycle up on lowering gear.
- [Incident 19930416026449I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930416026449I), Apr 16, 1993: Piper PA60601P (N985JL), Hot Springs, AR. Electrical malfunction in flight. Precautionary landing. Power cable to alternator chaffed to engine frame.

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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