Beech 58 accident near Beardstown, Illinois, June 29, 1993
On June 29, 1993 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N120TW, was destroyed in an accident near Beardstown, Illinois. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot-in-command's continued VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors were the fog, drizzle, and an abrupt maneuver by the pilot-in-command.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1993 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Beardstown, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N120TW · registry record · serial TH-537
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DESTINATION AIRPORT DID NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE PILOT CONDUCTED AN IFR APPROACH TO A NEARBY AIRPORT, CANCELLED IFR AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE VFR TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, IN LOW LEVEL FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS, DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT, AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 1993; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EVV Evansville IN at 11:25 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 450 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:45 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 CHI93FA238.