What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed (3LF) for aurora, ill (arr) at approximately 7:00 pm local time.
During the flight from 3LF to arr, the aircraft was in contact with springfield, IL (spi) approach control and peoria, IL (pia) approach control and was receiving VFR flight following at 7,500 feet.
The pilot was unable to receive flight following from chicago TRACON (C90) due to events at the chicago center (zau fire).
The weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported as night VFR, no clouds, precipitation or limits to visibility. There was little moon illumination.
The pilot initiated radio contact with the aurora tower and was subsequently identified as 10 miles south west of arr at an indicated altitude of 1,800 feet.
Approximately 9 miles south west of arr, 1 mile south of Plano, ill, the aircraft descended in a wings level attitude into a wooded area of trees.
Upon initial contact with the trees, the left tail boom, rudder and stabilizer detached from the aircraft.
The outboard left wing then detached from the aircraft prior to ground impact.
The fuselage and remaining structure then impacted the ground in a field of standing corn. The remaining wing, tail boom and stabilizer/rudder structure departed the fuselage.
The fuselage continued 130 yards past the first impact tree.
The fuselage of the aircraft came to rest in a field of standing corn 130 yards past the first impact tree. The forward engine departed the fuselage coming to rest about 30 feet further.
The top half of the cabin door was off the aircraft. The pilot was found 5 feet in front of the fuselage.
No post crash fire occurred and the pilot was fatally injured.
The investigation found:
Both engines appeared to have been operating normally.
Both sets of propeller blades were bent in a fashion typical of damage while under power.
Fuel was in the boost pumps and flow dividers.
All fuel tanks showed signs of hydraulic opening along the forward weld line of the tanks.
The aircraft was equipped with shoulder harness' but not assembled through the lap belt.
No fault found during the flight control continuity inspection. All pieces of the aircraft structure were accounted for.
The flight instruments were removed and bench tested and appeared to be functionable, but were damaged as a result of the accident.
Autopsy reports do not indicate pilot incapacitation prior to accident.
The pilot was not instrument rated. Study materials and instrument approach plates were found in the cockpit and scattered around the accident scene.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED (3LF) FOR AURORA, ILL (ARR) AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 PM LOCAL TIME.
DURING THE FLIGHT FROM 3LF TO ARR, THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CONTACT WITH SPRINGFIELD, IL (SPI) APPROACH CONTROL AND PEORIA, IL (PIA) APPROACH CONTROL AND WAS RECEIVING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AT 7,500 FEET.
THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM CHICAGO TRACON (C90) DUE TO EVENTS AT THE CHICAGO CENTER (ZAU FIRE).
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS NIGHT VFR, NO CLOUDS, PRECIPITATION OR LIMITS TO VISIBILITY. THERE WAS LITTLE MOON ILLUMINATION.
THE PILOT INITIATED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AURORA TOWER AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY IDENTIFIED AS 10 MILES SOUTH WEST OF ARR AT AN INDICATED ALTITUDE OF 1,800 FEET.
APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES SOUTH WEST OF ARR, 1 MILE SOUTH OF PLANO, ILL, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE INTO A WOODED AREA OF TREES.
UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE TREES, THE LEFT TAIL BOOM, RUDDER AND STABILIZER DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE OUTBOARD LEFT WING THEN DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.
THE FUSELAGE AND REMAINING STRUCTURE THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A FIELD OF STANDING CORN. THE REMAINING WING, TAIL BOOM AND STABILIZER/RUDDER STRUCTURE DEPARTED THE FUSELAGE.
THE FUSELAGE CONTINUED 130 YARDS PAST THE FIRST IMPACT TREE.
THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD OF STANDING CORN 130 YARDS PAST THE FIRST IMPACT TREE. THE FORWARD ENGINE DEPARTED THE FUSELAGE COMING TO REST ABOUT 30 FEET FURTHER.
THE TOP HALF OF THE CABIN DOOR WAS OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS FOUND 5 FEET IN FRONT OF THE FUSELAGE.
NO POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED AND THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED.
THE INVESTIGATION FOUND:
BOTH ENGINES APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY.
BOTH SETS OF PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT IN A FASHION TYPICAL OF DAMAGE WHILE UNDER POWER.
FUEL WAS IN THE BOOST PUMPS AND FLOW DIVIDERS.
ALL FUEL TANKS SHOWED SIGNS OF HYDRAULIC OPENING ALONG THE FORWARD WELD LINE OF THE TANKS.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH SHOULDER HARNESS' BUT NOT ASSEMBLED THROUGH THE LAP BELT.
NO FAULT FOUND DURING THE FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY INSPECTION. ALL PIECES OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE WERE ACCOUNTED FOR.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS WERE REMOVED AND BENCH TESTED AND APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONABLE, BUT WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
AUTOPSY REPORTS DO NOT INDICATE PILOT INCAPACITATION PRIOR TO ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. STUDY MATERIALS AND INSTRUMENT APPROACH PLATES WERE FOUND IN THE COCKPIT AND SCATTERED AROUND THE ACCIDENT SCENE.
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 N37E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.