Piper PA-60-601P accident near Bartonville, Illinois, March 10, 1990
On March 10, 1990 at about 6:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-60-601P, registered N410HC, was destroyed in an accident near Bartonville, Illinois. 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 ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO EXCEED ITS DESIGN STRESS LIMITS AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EVALUATION OF THE WEATHER AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDTIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1990 · about 6:28 pm local time
- Place
- Bartonville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-601P · all PA-60-601Ps on the register
- Registration
- N410HC · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0367-116
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADZD OF TSTMS & HVY RAIN ALONG THE ROUTE. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED A WARNING OF A SEVERE TSTM WATCH WITH HAIL, WIND GUSTS TO 65 KTS & A SIGMET (31C). THE PLT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN & TOOK OFF AT 1148 CST. WHILE EN ROUTE AT 15,000 MSL, HE REQD & RCVD CLNC TO DIVERT 10 DEG LEFT TO AVOID 'SOME CLOUDS.' SOON THEREAFTER, THE ATC CTLR NOTICED THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 500' HI & REMINDED THE PLT TO MAINT 15,000'. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, AN IN-FLT BREAKUP OF THE ACFT OCCURRED & THE PLANE CRASHED. THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING PANEL SEPD FM POSITIVE OVERLOAD FAILURE & WAS FOUND ABOUT 1 MI FM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. NO PREIMPACT FATIGUE WAS FND. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT DSCNDG OUT OF THE CLOUDS, SAW A FUNNEL CLOUD IN THE AREA BEFORE THE ACDNT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,312 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPS Cahokia IL at 5:48 pm
- Destination: 12C Rochelle IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm from PIA, 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.