Beech BE 58 accident near New Berlin, Illinois, October 30, 1997
On October 30, 1997 at about 10:48 pm local time, a Beech BE 58, registered N472TL, was destroyed in an accident near New Berlin, Illinois. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to separation of the left engine's number 2 connecting rod as a result of fatigue failure. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies and exceeding the maximum gross weight of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1997 · about 10:48 pm local time
- Place
- New Berlin, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE 58
- Registration
- N472TL · no longer on the register · serial TH1112
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The twin-engine airplane began its instrument flight loaded about 800 pounds beyond its certificated maximum gross take off weight. Shortly after reaching its assigned altitude of 7,000 feet above mean sea level, the pilot advised the FAA controller, '...we have an engine problem.' The problem was not identified during a subsequent radio transmission. Shortly after the pilot's last radio transmission, witnesses on the ground observed the airplane in a counterclockwise flat spin. The on-scene examination revealed the left engine had suffered a mechanical failure. Continuity of the flight, engine, fuel and propeller controls was established. An oil film was found on the left engine's nacelle, inboard half of the wing, left side of the fuselage and the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The left engine case had fractured near the number 2 cylinder. Examination of the case fracture surfaces revealed fatigue failure at its initiation point. The fatigue extended about 7 inches from its origin. Additionally, the number 2 cylinder connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft journal. Maintenance records showed the engine had a crankcase crack that was not covered by an FAA Airworthiness Directive or engine manufacturer specifications. The maintenance personnel informed the pilot about the crack. Examination of the airplane's hangar floor revealed a pool of fresh oil beneath the area where the left engine would have been positioned. Oil-based tire imprints made by the left main landing gear tire were found on the hangar floor that lead from the oil pool to the ramp outside the hangar. The pilot's logbook records showed he had received 4 hours of multi-engine flight instruction during one flight session on one day. The next day the logbook showed the pilot had received 10-hours of multi-engine instruction during 2 flight sessions. He obtained his multi-engine rating on the third day. Before these instructional entries were made there were 6 other flight instruction entries showing, 'X Country IFR.'
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: 993 hours in all; 401 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 911 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1997; 156 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental I0-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MQB Macomb IL at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from SPI, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.