What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 22, 2001, at approximately 1940 local time, N47964, a B-75, was flying into the Carbondale-Southern Illinois Airport with the intention of landing in the unlighted sod area adjacent to runway 36R at that airport, as per letter of agreement with the airport authority. During his approach to a landing, the pilot misjudged a cornfield near the sod area for grass, and proceeded to land in the corn. Upon contact with the corn, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest on its back. The pilot and passenger sustained no injuries during this event and the aircraft received substantial damage. Sun data: sunset - 1854 local time, civil twilight - 1920 local time (.19) on September 22, 2001, at 1940 central daylight time, a Boeing stearman B75N1, N47964, owned and operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during a landing in a cornfield, which was adjacent to a sod area that ran parallel to runway 36R (6,506 feet by 100 feet, asphalt surface) at the Southern Illinois Airport (mdh), Carbondale, Illinois. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The FL ight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his single passenger reported no injuries. The flight departed shelby county airport, shelbyville, Illinois, at 1910. According to the manager of the air traffic control tower at mdh, the pilot requested to land on the sod area to the right side of runway 36R and the aircraft actually landed in the cornfield adjacent to the sod area on a northerly heading. The tower manager approximated the perpendicular distance from the edge of runway 36R to the accident site was 350-feet. The tower manager approximated the width of the sod area adjacent to runway 36R to be 200-feet. The Southern Illinois Airport authority (siaa) approved takeoff and landing operations on the sod area adjacent to runway 36R for two specific pilot/aircraft combinations. The siaa issued a memorandum to the air traffic control tower that discussed the associated limitations and provisions of the operation of aircraft on the sod area. The memo states, "these individuals [the two pilots allowed to use the sod area] have been instructed as to the usable portion of that ground and have agreed to accept full responsibility for their activities in the use of that area. The siaa views this as an 'at your own risk' operation." The memorandum did not have any additional limitations or provisions, including the restriction of operations after civil twilight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 1940 LOCAL TIME, N47964, A B-75, WAS FLYING INTO THE CARBONDALE-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT WITH THE INTENTION OF LANDING IN THE UNLIGHTED SOD AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 36R AT THAT AIRPORT, AS PER LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY. DURING HIS APPROACH TO A LANDING, THE PILOT MISJUDGED A CORNFIELD NEAR THE SOD AREA FOR GRASS, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND IN THE CORN. UPON CONTACT WITH THE CORN, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES DURING THIS EVENT AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. SUN DATA: SUNSET - 1854 LOCAL TIME, CIVIL TWILIGHT - 1920 LOCAL TIME (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2001, AT 1940 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING STEARMAN B75N1, N47964, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A LANDING IN A CORNFIELD, WHICH WAS ADJACENT TO A SOD AREA THAT RAN PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 36R (6,506 FEET BY 100 FEET, ASPHALT SURFACE) AT THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT (MDH), CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FL IGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND HIS SINGLE PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT, SHELBYVILLE, ILLINOIS, AT 1910. ACCORDING TO THE MANAGER OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AT MDH, THE PILOT REQUESTED TO LAND ON THE SOD AREA TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 36R AND THE AIRCRAFT ACTUALLY LANDED IN THE CORNFIELD ADJACENT TO THE SOD AREA ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. THE TOWER MANAGER APPROXIMATED THE PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE FROM THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 36R TO THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 350-FEET. THE TOWER MANAGER APPROXIMATED THE WIDTH OF THE SOD AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 36R TO BE 200-FEET. THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT AUTHORITY (SIAA) APPROVED TAKEOFF AND LANDING OPERATIONS ON THE SOD AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 36R FOR TWO SPECIFIC PILOT/AIRCRAFT COMBINATIONS. THE SIAA ISSUED A MEMORANDUM TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THAT DISCUSSED THE ASSOCIATED LIMITATIONS AND PROVISIONS OF THE OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT ON THE SOD AREA. THE MEMO STATES, "THESE INDIVIDUALS [THE TWO PILOTS ALLOWED TO USE THE SOD AREA] HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED AS TO THE USABLE PORTION OF THAT GROUND AND HAVE AGREED TO ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE USE OF THAT AREA. THE SIAA VIEWS THIS AS AN 'AT YOUR OWN RISK' OPERATION." THE MEMORANDUM DID NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS OR PROVISIONS, INCLUDING THE RESTRICTION OF OPERATIONS AFTER CIVIL TWILIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N47964 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.