Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Rochester, Illinois, March 21, 1983
On March 21, 1983 at about 8:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N1057Q, was destroyed in an accident near Rochester, Illinois. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1983 · about 8:28 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N1057Q · registry record · serial 32R-7780220
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLT BREAK-UP DURING DESCENT. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED ON THE RADIO TO KANSAS CITY ARTCC THAT HEWAS HAVING SEVERE CHEST PAINS AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH. RADAR CONTACT WITH THE PLANE WAS LOST AT 1425 CST. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED HE WAS MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT. WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS IN A SPIN. THEY SAW SEPARATE PIECES OF THE ACFT FALLING AFTER THE MAIN PORTIONS HAD DESCENDED. THEY HAD HEARD THE ENGINE SOUNDS WHICH MADE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ACFT WAS DOING STUNTS. THE AUTOPSY REPORT STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF DEATH OF THE PILOT WAS ATHEROSCLEROTIC CORONARY ARTERY HEART DISEASE. THE PILOT HAD BEEN HOPITALIZED IN 10/92 DUE TO CHEST PAINS. HE WAS TESTED FOR CORONARY PROBLEMS. NO EVIDENCE OF CORONARY DISEASE WAS FOUND. HE WAS TREATED FOR HYPERTENSION BUT REPORTEDLY WOULD NOT TAKE HIS MEDICINE.
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: 366 hours in all; 124 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,087 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1982; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Ft. Worth TX at 4:01 pm
- Destination: CMI Champaign
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:29 pm from SP1, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI83FA148.