What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 21, 2001, about 1605 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N27AP, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain following an in-flight loss of engine power during initial climbout from the southbound runway at Thacker Airport (11LL), near Chenoa, Illinois. The business flight was operating under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was originating from 11LL at the time of the accident and was destined for wittman regional airport, near oshkosh, Wisconsin. A witness stated, "took off to south. Normal acceleration... In left turn sounded like engine lost power. (No backfire)". Another witness stated, "looked north when t[he] plane engine cut out. Plane low, heading south east, turning easterly w[ith] slight climb or level flying. I wondered if taking off or doing a flyover [the airport owner's] house. But if taking off, much further north than usual, and lower too. I listened to hear for engine life but did not. But also didn't hear crash." An on-scene investigation was performed. The ai rplane came to rest in a bean field south and east of 11LL at latitude 40 degrees 42.961' n and longitude 88 degrees 45.844' w. flight control continuity was established. Control continuity was established to the engine. Fuel was found in the right tip tank. Fuel was found in the fuel selector valve, in the fuel line to the engine driven fuel pump, in the fuel pump, and in the carburetor's accelerator pump cylinder. The electric fuel pump was observed pumping a liquid. A thumb compression was produced at all cylinders. Both magnetos produced sparks at all leads. At 1555, the central Illinois regional airport at bloomington-normal airport, near bloomington, Illinois, weather was: wind 190 degrees at 07 knots; visibility 5 statute miles; present weather haze; sky condition scattered 2,000 feet broken 2,500; temperature 31 degrees c; dew point 24 degrees c; altimeter 29.92 inches of mercury. (-23) after conducting a takeoff to the south at 11LL, Thacker field, Chenoa, Illinois, the pilot of N27AP began a left turn to the east. Witness reports state that the aircraft appeared to accelerate and climb normally but l ost engine power while in the left turn. The aircraft then appeared to level the wings and begin a descent to the east. The witness lost site of the aircraft behind agricultural crops as ti descended to the ground. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 1/2 mile east south east of Thacker field. The pilot and his one passenger sustained fatal injuries during this event.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 21, 2001, ABOUT 1605 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-260, N27AP, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMBOUT FROM THE SOUTHBOUND RUNWAY AT THACKER AIRPORT (11LL), NEAR CHENOA, ILLINOIS. THE BUSINESS FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM 11LL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS DESTINED FOR WITTMAN REGIONAL AIRPORT, NEAR OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. A WITNESS STATED, "TOOK OFF TO SOUTH. NORMAL ACCELERATION... IN LEFT TURN SOUNDED LIKE ENGINE LOST POWER. (NO BACKFIRE)". ANOTHER WITNESS STATED, "LOOKED NORTH WHEN T[HE] PLANE ENGINE CUT OUT. PLANE LOW, HEADING SOUTH EAST, TURNING EASTERLY W[ITH] SLIGHT CLIMB OR LEVEL FLYING. I WONDERED IF TAKING OFF OR DOING A FLYOVER [THE AIRPORT OWNER'S] HOUSE. BUT IF TAKING OFF, MUCH FURTHER NORTH THAN USUAL, AND LOWER TOO. I LISTENED TO HEAR FOR ENGINE LIFE BUT DID NOT. BUT ALSO DIDN'T HEAR CRASH." AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED. THE AI RPLANE CAME TO REST IN A BEAN FIELD SOUTH AND EAST OF 11LL AT LATITUDE 40 DEGREES 42.961' N AND LONGITUDE 88 DEGREES 45.844' W. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE ENGINE. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TIP TANK. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, IN THE FUEL LINE TO THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, IN THE FUEL PUMP, AND IN THE CARBURETOR'S ACCELERATOR PUMP CYLINDER. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS OBSERVED PUMPING A LIQUID. A THUMB COMPRESSION WAS PRODUCED AT ALL CYLINDERS. BOTH MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARKS AT ALL LEADS. AT 1555, THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS REGIONAL AIRPORT AT BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL AIRPORT, NEAR BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, WEATHER WAS: WIND 190 DEGREES AT 07 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 5 STATUTE MILES; PRESENT WEATHER HAZE; SKY CONDITION SCATTERED 2,000 FEET BROKEN 2,500; TEMPERATURE 31 DEGREES C; DEW POINT 24 DEGREES C; ALTIMETER 29.92 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) AFTER CONDUCTING A TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTH AT 11LL, THACKER FIELD, CHENOA, ILLINOIS, THE PILOT OF N27AP BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO THE EAST. WITNESS REPORTS STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB NORMALLY BUT L OST ENGINE POWER WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN APPEARED TO LEVEL THE WINGS AND BEGIN A DESCENT TO THE EAST. THE WITNESS LOST SITE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEHIND AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS TI DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE EAST SOUTH EAST OF THACKER FIELD. THE PILOT AND HIS ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES DURING THIS EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.