Piper PA-28-181 accident near Bloomington, Illinois, June 16, 2001
On June 16, 2001 at about 4:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N75238, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois (Central Illinois Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the visual approach for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2001 · about 4:12 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois · Central Illinois Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N75238 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7690315
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying a visual approach runway 20 at Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI). He said that everything was normal until short final when the airplane began a descent that resulted in the collision with the ground, short of the runway. The pilot said he didn't know why the accident occurred, but thought that a downdraft might have forced the aircraft towards the ground. The pilot said that he added power to arrest the descent, but it happened very rapidly. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The weather at BMI, reported 3 minutes after the accident occurred, was clear skies, 10 miles visibility, winds 220 degrees at 15 knots, and an altimeter setting of 30.11 inches of Mercury.
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: 881 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMI Bloomington IL at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from BMI, 1 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.