What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 15, 2020 at approximately 15:20 central daylight time (CDT), an Cessna 120 aircraft, N120MZ, registered to an individual and operated by a private pilot with a tailwheel endorsement, received substantial damage when it collided with the terrain in a private owned farm field, north of the town of Chatham, IL.
The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 under visual flight rules. The flight originated from the creve coeur airport (1H0) and was going to be direct to the schaumberg airport (06C).
According to the pilot, she departed creve coeur airport (1H0) around 1415 with sufficient fuel to reach her destination, received a class b clearance, and climbed to visual flight rules (VFR) on top at 5,500? MSL. According to the weather briefing she acquired, it would be VFR at her destination when she was due to arrive, with no knowledge of other cloud layers along the route of flight other than the base ceiling. Southwest of springfield, Illinois airport (kspi) she entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and tried to fly the aircraft with the instruments installed on the aircraft (no attitude indicator). She turned on carburetor heat and applied full power to initiate a climb in order to find VMC. Shortly after, she recognized that the aircraft was in a right hand turn and tried to correct, but the turn was increasing and realized that she was experiencing spatial disorientation. Then she performed the corrective actions for a descending unusual attitude. She broke out in visual conditions, at approximately 1,500 AGL over several trees, and at this time increased the throttle and brought the aircraft back to straight and level flight, but was having issues with keeping the aircraft in level flight and would not climb. She then made the decision to land the aircraft in the nearest field available, during the landing the landing gear dug into the mud, and the aircraft then flipped on its back.
The AWOS weather report at abraham lincoln capital airport (kspi) at 14:52 CDT was: wind 190 degrees at 05 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, overcast at 3200 feet AGL, few clouds at 1400 feet AGL, temperature 20 celsius, dew point 18 celsius, and altimeter 2997.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 15, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:20 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), AN CESSNA 120 AIRCRAFT, N120MZ, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WITH A TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A PRIVATE OWNED FARM FIELD, NORTH OF THE TOWN OF CHATHAM, IL.
THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (1H0) AND WAS GOING TO BE DIRECT TO THE SCHAUMBERG AIRPORT (06C).
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, SHE DEPARTED CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (1H0) AROUND 1415 WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH HER DESTINATION, RECEIVED A CLASS B CLEARANCE, AND CLIMBED TO VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ON TOP AT 5,500? MSL. ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER BRIEFING SHE ACQUIRED, IT WOULD BE VFR AT HER DESTINATION WHEN SHE WAS DUE TO ARRIVE, WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER CLOUD LAYERS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT OTHER THAN THE BASE CEILING. SOUTHWEST OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS AIRPORT (KSPI) SHE ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND TRIED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE INSTRUMENTS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT (NO ATTITUDE INDICATOR). SHE TURNED ON CARBURETOR HEAT AND APPLIED FULL POWER TO INITIATE A CLIMB IN ORDER TO FIND VMC. SHORTLY AFTER, SHE RECOGNIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A RIGHT HAND TURN AND TRIED TO CORRECT, BUT THE TURN WAS INCREASING AND REALIZED THAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THEN SHE PERFORMED THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR A DESCENDING UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. SHE BROKE OUT IN VISUAL CONDITIONS, AT APPROXIMATELY 1,500 AGL OVER SEVERAL TREES, AND AT THIS TIME INCREASED THE THROTTLE AND BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT, BUT WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH KEEPING THE AIRCRAFT IN LEVEL FLIGHT AND WOULD NOT CLIMB. SHE THEN MADE THE DECISION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE NEAREST FIELD AVAILABLE, DURING THE LANDING THE LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE MUD, AND THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLIPPED ON ITS BACK.
THE AWOS WEATHER REPORT AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN CAPITAL AIRPORT (KSPI) AT 14:52 CDT WAS: WIND 190 DEGREES AT 05 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, OVERCAST AT 3200 FEET AGL, FEW CLOUDS AT 1400 FEET AGL, TEMPERATURE 20 CELSIUS, DEW POINT 18 CELSIUS, AND ALTIMETER 2997.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.