- Date
- July 11, 1990, 02:21 local (07:21 UTC)
- Place
- Ashton, IL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N43515Piper PA-32R-301T
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900711024749A
- Case key
- 14536
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of aircraft control for an unknown reason, while en route in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) on a dark night, and the pilot exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft while attempting to recover from uncontrolled flight. Factors related to the accident were: pilot fatigue and probable spatial disorientation of the pilot and/or an instrument malfunction.
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 flt originated at 0151 CDT after the plt & psgr had spent a day sightseeing & attended a ngt baseball game. Before depg, the plt rcvd a wx briefing & filed an IFR flt plan. Ovc skies with cumuliform clouds & rain showers prevailed along the route. Though the plt was not briefed about tstms, only widely scattered tstms with moderate rainshowers were forecast. While en route, the plt made a transmission that his compass was 'swinging' & then contact with the acft was lost. Subsequenlty, an inflt breakup of the acft occurred & wreckage was scattered over a wide area. Radar data showed that the airplane made rapid changes in altitude before breaking up. An exam of the wreckage showed that both wings failed in positive overload. The stabilator failed down & was bent aft before separating from the acft. The rest of the aircraft was extensively damaged by impact & fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43515
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301T (PA-32R-301)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-8429009
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Protection Inc.
- Departed
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- LNK · Lincoln, NE
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,208 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.