Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Danville, Illinois, November 27, 2000
On November 27, 2000 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N4541J, was destroyed in an accident near Danville, Illinois (Vermillion County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance during the instrument approach. Factors were the low ceilings, the pilot's failure to maintain proper alignment and glidepath during the approach, his lack of recent instrument experience, and his failure to perform the missed approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2000 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Danville, Illinois · Vermillion County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4541J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-30400
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground about 6 miles from the airport while on an ILS approach. The pilot was instrument rated. No logbook entry was found to indicate that the holding procedures requirements listed in FAR 61.57 (c) were performed. In addition, the pilot had only logged 1.3 hours of simulated instrument flight time and 0.9 hours of actual instrument flight time in the previous 6 months. No preexisting anomalies were found with respect to the accident airplane. Reported weather at the time of the accident was 500 foot overcast with 5 miles of visibility. Radar data along with voice transcripts show that the aircraft was given a right turn to a 180-degree heading to intercept the ILS 21 approach. The data shows that the aircraft turned left prior to intercepting the localizer course, and then proceeded through the localizer course before commencing a right turn to intercept the 209-degree approach bearing. The data indicates that when the aircraft was about 9.6 nautical miles from the localizer antenna, it was about 0.7 miles left of the localizer course. The aircraft altitude returns from the radar data indicate that the aircraft remained below the 3-degree glide slope path during the approach. The last radar return shows that the aircraft was about 400-feet below the standard 3-degree glide slope. The aircraft wreckage was located about 0.3 nautical miles and 196 degrees from the ILS outer marker antenna
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 405 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 441 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,364 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2000; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRC Mount Pleasant TN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: DNV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 5,399 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 84°F (29°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from DNV, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.