Plane Crash List

Beechcraft E95A N9581Y

20 September 1994 · Poplar Grove, Illinois, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 20 September 1994 at about 22:35 local time, a Beechcraft E95A registered N9581Y was involved in an accident near Poplar Grove, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 22:35
Classification
Accident
Location
Poplar Grove, Illinois, United States
Nearest airport
Belvidere Airport (C77)
Coordinates
42.3607, -88.8205
Aircraft
Beechcraft E95A
Registration
N9581Y
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Waterloo → Wheeling
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
CHI94FA340

People

1 person died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 1 0 0 0

Probable cause

Aircraft control not maintained by the pilot when he began his turn from base leg to final approach. Factors associated with this accident were the fatigue failure of a propeller blade, improper maintenance overhaul of the propeller, and a material defect in the propeller blade clamp screws.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC AFTER EXPERIENCING WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS A LEFT ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONTROLLER GUIDED THE PILOT TO A NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT FOR A LANDING. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE ENTER DOWNWIND FOR THE SOUTHEAST RUNWAY. THEY SAID THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TURN FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL APPROACH. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE BLADE OF THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ASSEMBLY. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THE SEPARATION WAS INITIATED BY A FATIGUE FRACTURE NEXT TO THE BLADE'S INNER CLAMP. TWO OF THE CLAMP SCREWS HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE OVERLOAD. THE INNER CLAMP HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH SCREWS THAT THE PROPELLER MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE BULLETIN SAID HAD TO BE CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT TYPE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
16 Jul 1994 Piper PA-28-140
N7079R
Kankakee, Illinois, United States Koerner Aviation, Inc. Minor injuries -
17 Jul 1994 Cessna 150
N3639V
Alton, Illinois, United States - No injuries -
19 Apr 1994 Remote Sensing CIRRUS VK-30
N108P
Lk In the Hills, Illinois, United States - Fatal 2
22 Jul 1994 Cessna 175
N7101M
Cottage Hill, Illinois, United States - Serious injuries -
15 Jul 1994 Piper PA-22
N8512C
Harvard, Illinois, United States Edwin D. Swart No injuries -
5 Jul 1994 Hucke Ronald L PARSON-2P
N589RH
Monmouth, Illinois, United States - Minor injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States