Beech G58 accident near Taylorville, Illinois, June 12, 2015
On June 12, 2015 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 2015 Beech G58, registered N669CS, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Taylorville, Illinois (Taylorville Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to verify that the left engine was operational, which resulted in insufficient engine power being available during an attempted go-around and his subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the instructor's inadequate monitoring of the approach, which led to his failure to notice that the airplane was lined up with a taxiway and necessitated the go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2015 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Taylorville, Illinois · Taylorville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G58, built 2015 · all G58s on the register
- Registration
- N669CS · registry record · serial TH2440
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor were conducting an instructional flight to help prepare the pilot for the multiengine practical examination. The pilot stated that, while returning to the base airport and about 7,500 ft above ground level (agl), the instructor reduced power on the left engine to simulate a single engine-out emergency. The student then identified, verified, and feathered the left engine propeller. About 7,000 ft agl, the instructor advised the pilot that they were going to conduct a simulated dual engine-out emergency and reduced the right engine power to idle. About 3 miles from the airport, the instructor advised that he was going to restart the feathered left engine, and the left propeller began turning, which led him to believe the engine was operating; however, he did not verify that the engine was operating. The instructor advised the pilot to conduct a straight-in approach and target 1,000 ft down the runway. As the airplane neared the airport with full flaps and the landing gear lowered for landing, the instructor realized that it was lined up with a taxiway. The instructor pushed the throttles forward, took the control yoke, and instructed the pilot to "get the wheels up for a go-around." Subsequently, the airplane entered a steep left turn and then impacted a cornfield adjacent to the airport. The instructor's inadequate monitoring of the approach led to his failure to see that the airplane was lined up with a taxiway instead of a runway, which necessitated the go-around. Data downloaded from the airplane's onboard avionics showed that, about 4.5 minutes before the accident, the left engine fuel flow and rpm decreased to zero, consistent with the engine being shut down and feathered. The rpm and fuel flow remained at zero for about 4 minutes and then began to increase. Subsequently, the fuel flow began to drop below minimum fuel flow levels again, and the rpm remained about 2,000 and decreased as the airspeed decreased, which is indicative of the instructor's failure to restart the engine. It is likely that the instructor saw the propeller windmilling and assumed it was rotating under power. The Federal Aviation Administration noted in a General Aviation Joint Steering Committee Safety Enhancement Topic bulletin that "single-engine go-arounds in light twin [airplanes] often don't go well and they should be avoided if possible." Because the instructor did not recognize that the airplane only had one engine operating, there was insufficient power for a go-around, which resulted in the instructor's subsequent loss of airplane control.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › (general) › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 257.7 hours in all; 19.2 in this make and model; 74.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,645 hours in all; 1,343 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 18,645 as pilot in command; 7,541 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 22, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 29, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Continental Motors IO550C72B (piston); 23 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors IO550C72B (piston); 23 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEC Decatur IL at 5:05 pm
- Destination: TAZ Taylorville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KTAZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15LA280.