Beech E-55 accident near Grafton, Illinois, August 30, 2000
On August 30, 2000 at about 2:54 pm local time, a Beech E-55, registered N9047V, was destroyed in an accident near Grafton, Illinois (St. Charles County Smartt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining aircraft control and altitude/clearance from the river. Factors to the accident included the pilot not obtaining an air traffic control clearance prior to departure into instrument meteorological conditions, the pilot becoming spatially disoriented, the low ceiling, and the mist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2000 · about 2:54 pm local time
- Place
- Grafton, Illinois · St. Charles County Smartt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-55 E55 · all E-55s on the register
- Registration
- N9047V · no longer on the register · serial TE-938
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During climb after takeoff the pilot became disorientated, lost aircraft control, and the airplane impacted the Mississippi River. The instrument rated pilot departed into known instrument meteorological conditions without an instrument flight rules (IFR) air traffic control (ATC) clearance. After takeoff the pilot contacted ATC to obtain an IFR clearance to his intended destination. The ATC controller instructed the pilot to make a right turn to avoid opposite direction traffic. The traffic was on an instrument approach to the airport from which the accident airplane had just departed. During the turn the accident airplane impacted the Mississippi River approximately 2.2 nm north-northeast of the departure airport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident with a visibility of 1-1/2 statute miles and an overcast ceiling of 300 feet above ground level. No anomalies were found with the recovered portions of the airplane that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 445 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 414 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 6, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,810.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 17, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 5,324 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-520-C-7B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO-520-C-16B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SET St. Charles MO at 2:52 pm
- Destination: ZZV Zanesville OH
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from SET, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.