Beech A36 accident near Sparta, Illinois, March 6, 2003
On March 6, 2003 at about 4:40 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N7253Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparta, Illinois (Sparta Community 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's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his flight into known icing conditions which resulted in airframe icing and degraded aircraft performance until the onset of a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2003 · about 4:40 am local time
- Place
- Sparta, Illinois · Sparta Community Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N7253Z · no longer on the register · serial E-2279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane encountered moderate icing conditions during cruise flight and impacted trees and terrain while the pilot attempted to divert to an alternate airport. The pilot reported to air traffic control (ATC), on several occasions, that the airplane had accumulated structural ice. The pilot passed several airports before ultimately diverting to a nearby airport because of degraded aircraft performance. The pilot told ATC that, "we're gonna need vectors...we're not gonna make it up there, we're already in stall mode, for this airplane is full of ice." The airplane impacted trees and terrain about 4.3 nautical miles south of the airport. The accident occurred at night in instrument meteorological conditions. An AIRMET for icing conditions had been issued for occasional moderate rime and mixed icing while in clouds and precipitation below 15,000 feet msl. Several PIREPs indicated moderate rime and mixed icing between 2,500 and 6,000 feet msl. The airplane was not equipped with deicing equipment and was not approved for flight into known icing conditions. The aircraft's pilot operating handbook states that, "Flight into icing conditions is prohibited."
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,980 hours in all; 8,192 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,428.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2002; 130 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550-B(1) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLH Duluth MN at 1:51 am
- Destination: SAR Sparta IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 am from SAR, 4 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.