- Date
- March 21, 1983, 14:28 local (20:28 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N1057QPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830321008479A
- Case key
- 11985
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft experienced an in-flt break-up during descent. The pilot had reported on the radio to Kansas city ARTCC that hewas having severe chest pains and shortness of breath. Radar contact with the plane was lost at 1425 CST. The pilot had reported he was manually flying the acft. Witnesses saw the acft come out of the clouds in a spin. They saw separate pieces of the acft falling after the main portions had descended. They had heard the engine sounds which made the impression that the acft was doing stunts. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death of the pilot was atherosclerotic coronary artery heart disease. The pilot had been hopitalized in 10/92 due to chest pains. He was tested for coronary problems. No evidence of coronary disease was found. He was treated for hypertension but reportedly would not take his medicine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1057Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7780220
- Airframe hours
- 1,087
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph W. Hopkins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 1982 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- FTW · Ft. Worth, TX
- Destination
- CMI · Champaign
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 366 total · 124 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SP1, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.