Piper PA-32-260 accident near Marshall, Illinois, January 13, 1991
On January 13, 1991 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3212W, was destroyed in an accident near Marshall, Illinois. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE PILOT(S) AND SUBSEQUENT ICING OF THE PIPER PA-32'S AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND A PERCEIVED SENSE OF URGENCY TO MAKE THE FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1991 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Marshall, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3212W · no longer on the register · serial 32-12
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLTS OF 2 ACFT PLANNED A FORMATION FLT TO TAKE THE WINGMAN'S AG ACFT FOR SVC. IN A WX BRIEFING, VFR FLT WAS NOT RCMDD & THE PLTS WERE ADZD OF MODERATE RIME & MIXED ICING CONDS IN CLDS BLO 7000'. THE WINGMAN EXPRESSED A SENSE OF URGENCY TO DELIVER HIS ACFT & THE FORMATION FLT DEPD W/O A FLT PLAN. EN ROUTE, THE FLT LEADER (IN PIPER PA-32, N3212W) OBTAINED WX INFO, THEN ELECTED TO DIVERT TO MATTOON ARPT. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO DSCND THRU A 'SCATTERED' CLD LAYER & APPLIED CARB HEAT; HOWEVER, DURING DSCNT, THE ENG LOST PWR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED. THE WIGMAN RPRTD THAT HE WAS ABT 2000' TO THE RGT AS THEY PENETRATED THE CLD LAYER & HE LOST SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT. ALSO, HE RPRTD HE ENCTRD SEVERE ICING CONDS & WAS 'VERY CLOSE TO THE GROUND' WHEN HE DSCNDD BLO THE CLDS. THE WINGMAN'S ACFT HAD NO RDO; AFTER DSCNDG BLO CLDS, HE COULD NOT FIND THE LEAD ACFT. HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS LOCATION, BUT LNDD SAFELY AFTER FLYING BY A WATER TWR AT MARSHALL. ABT 15 MI EAST AT TERRA HAUTE, IN, THE WX WAS IN PART: 1100' OVC, 5 MI VIS WITH HAZE & FOG.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,130 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,020 as pilot in command; 660 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 1990; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AWM West Memphis TN at 5:45 pm
- Destination: HUF Terre Haute IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from HUF, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.