Beech A36 accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois, May 14, 2021
On May 14, 2021 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1973 Beech A36, registered N1875W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Pinckneyville, Illinois. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to oil starvation. The reason for the oil starvation could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2021 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Pinckneyville, Illinois · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1973 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N1875W · registry record · serial E-437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While at an altitude of 8,000 ft mean sea level, the pilot noticed the engine oil pressure began to fluctuate. The pilot then requested to divert to the nearest airport, and shortly thereafter, the engine began to shake and lost total power. Unable to make the airport, the pilot executed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane’s nose wheel landing gear impacted a ditch. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that connecting rods 2 through 5 were fractured and separated from the crankshaft, and the connecting rod bearings were destroyed. Heat distress signatures were noted on the crankshaft connecting rod locations. The connecting rod bearings number 1 and 6 displayed significant scoring consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. It is likely the engine failure was the result of oil starvation to the connecting rod bearings, however, the reason for the oil starvation could not be determined based on the available evidence.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 403 hours in all; 333 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 403 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2020; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 343 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GGP Logansport IN at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 42A Melbourne AR
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 3:07 pm from KSAR, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSAR 142007Z AUTO 16006KT 10SM CLR 20/02 A3029 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 27, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts of Engine Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1875W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1875W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft A36 Bonanza 2,530 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB 44 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Pinckneyville/Du Quoin Airport · nearest airport
- Logansport/Cass County · departed from
- Melbourne Muni/John E Miller Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,069 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1875W 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN21LA221.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.