Piper PA-28-235 accident near Mount Vernon, Illinois, January 20, 2025
On January 20, 2025 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA-28-235, registered N8997W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mount Vernon, Illinois (Mount Vernon Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2025 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Vernon, Illinois · Mount Vernon Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235, built 1964 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8997W · registry record · serial 28-10579
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during a landing attempt at the destination airport, she flared the airplane too early, and the airplane bounced. While the airplane became airborne from the bounce, she overcorrected, and the airplane yawed right. The airplane right wing tip then struck an ice bank along the right side of the runway. The pilot overcorrected to the left, and the airplane impacted a snow/ice bank on the left side of the runway and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and an engine mount. The pilot stated there was no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 119 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 24, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,963 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 1,963 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAR Sparta IL at 6:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,496 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.62 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from MVN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 CEN25LA085.