What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At around 1546 CST on may 31, 2020 N8991W, a Piper PA-28-235, impacted terrain approximately 2 miles southwest of Carlinville, Illinois. The pilot and 3 passengers sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident. The aircraft departed creve coeur airport (1HO) at 1518 CST and proceeded northeast bound. At 1543 the aircraft was about 2.5 miles south/southwest of Carlinville at an altitude of 5,400 feet above mean sea level (MSL). At this time the aircraft began a left turn to a southwesterly heading and climbed to an altitude of 5,500 MSL. At 1545 CST the aircraft began another left turn back to a northeasterly heading climbing to 5600 MSL. The turn radius of this turn was significantly less than the first turn. At 1545:30 CST the aircraft entered a steep right hand descending turn. From that point to the impact site the aircraft remained in a right hand descending turn with the turn radius decreasing and the descent rate increasing rapidly. During this descent, the aircraft began to break apart. The wings, stabilator, and vertical stabilizer seperated from the aircraft prior to the fuselage impacting the terrain. The right wing was situated in the center of the debris field. All major aircraft components were contained within a 255 foot radius from where the right wing came to rest. Some smaller pieces of debris were found outside of that radius. The smaller pieces of debris were contained within a 475 foot radius of the right wing. All major aircraft components were located with the exception of the right aileron. Approximately 2 to 3 inch sections of the aileron skin were still attached to the trailing edge of the right wing at the inboard and outboard aileron attachment points.
As the FAA filed it
AT AROUND 1546 CST ON MAY 31, 2020 N8991W, A PIPER PA-28-235, IMPACTED TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CARLINVILLE, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (1HO) AT 1518 CST AND PROCEEDED NORTHEAST BOUND. AT 1543 THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 2.5 MILES SOUTH/SOUTHWEST OF CARLINVILLE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 5,400 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 5,500 MSL. AT 1545 CST THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ANOTHER LEFT TURN BACK TO A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING CLIMBING TO 5600 MSL. THE TURN RADIUS OF THIS TURN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE FIRST TURN. AT 1545:30 CST THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STEEP RIGHT HAND DESCENDING TURN. FROM THAT POINT TO THE IMPACT SITE THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN A RIGHT HAND DESCENDING TURN WITH THE TURN RADIUS DECREASING AND THE DESCENT RATE INCREASING RAPIDLY. DURING THIS DESCENT, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BREAK APART. THE WINGS, STABILATOR, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE FUSELAGE IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. THE RIGHT WING WAS SITUATED IN THE CENTER OF THE DEBRIS FIELD. ALL MAJOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN A 255 FOOT RADIUS FROM WHERE THE RIGHT WING CAME TO REST. SOME SMALLER PIECES OF DEBRIS WERE FOUND OUTSIDE OF THAT RADIUS. THE SMALLER PIECES OF DEBRIS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN A 475 FOOT RADIUS OF THE RIGHT WING. ALL MAJOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIGHT AILERON. APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 INCH SECTIONS OF THE AILERON SKIN WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING AT THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD AILERON ATTACHMENT POINTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.