Piper PA-28-161 N9089U

Summary

On 16 October 1994 at about 18:41 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N9089U, operated by Northwest Flyers, Inc., was involved in an accident near Winfield, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 October 1994 at 18:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Winfield, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.8700, -88.1503

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N9089U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Northwest Flyers, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bloomington → Schaumburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95FA012

1 person died.

COLLISION WITH THE GROUND FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. THE PILOT'S PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION WAS A PROBABLE FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT CONTACTED ATC AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'GOING DOWN.' CONTROLLER INQUIRIES FAILED TO REVEAL THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT LOW ALTITUDE, THEN WITHOUT SLOWING, IT SUDDENLY WENT IN A 30 TO 40 DEGREE DESCENT. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS, IT CONTINUED IN THE DIVE WITH THE ENGINE AT A HIGH POWER SETTING AND DID NOT VEER FROM ITS COURSE, AS THOUGH THE PLANE WAS IN A DELIBERATE DIVE. IMPACT WITH THE GROUND OCCURRED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. FRIENDS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD BECOME VISIBLY UPSET AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF BUZZING A COLLEGE CAMPUS TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. TWO OF HIS FRIENDS, WHO WERE ABOARD DURING THE ALLEGED BUZZING, STATED THAT HE MADE STATEMENTS THAT HIS ESTATE/PARENTS WOULD TAKE CARE OF ANY LEGAL FEES THEY INCURRED AND THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD NOT BE BOTHERED WAS IF HE DIDN'T LAND THE AIRPLANE. A SHERIFF'S REPORT CONCLUDED THAT THE OCCURRENCE WAS 'PROBABLY SUICIDAL IN NATURE.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.