Piper PA-38-112 accident near Warrensburg, Illinois, September 17, 1999
On September 17, 1999 at about 5:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N9575T, was destroyed in an accident near Warrensburg, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Aircraft control not being maintained by the private pilot candidate and the inadequate supervision by the FAA Designated Examiner. Factors relating to the accident were the inadvertent spin, the unsuccessful remedial action attempted by the flightcrew, and the flightcrew's decision to operate the airplane over the certified maximum gross weight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1999 · about 5:48 pm local time
- Place
- Warrensburg, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N9575T · no longer on the register · serial 38-78A0135
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot checkride the aircraft was destroyed when it impacted the terrain. FAA radar data indicated that the aircraft was maneuvering prior to the uncontrolled descent. A witness to the accident described the accident airplane in a nose-low, counter-clockwise rotating dive prior to impacting the terrain. Post-accident examination of the airframe and flight control systems revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The aircraft's weight was calculated to be approximately 96.5 lbs over the certified maximum gross weight at the beginning of the flight. The PA-38-112 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that, "IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT OWNER TO INSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE IS LOADED PROPERLY."
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: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 132 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,019 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1999; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEC Decatur IL at 5:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 154°F (68°C), dew point 115°F (46°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DEC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.