Southern Illinois Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Carbondale, Illinois 62901
Monday, January 18, 1988 17:39 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SHORTLY AFTER REPORTING THE OUTER MARKER WHILE EXECUTING AN ILS RUNWAY 18 APPROACH IN ACTUAL INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, THE AIRCRAFT DEVIATED LEFT OF THE LOCALIZER CENTERLINE. AT A POSITION APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE OUTSIDE THE MIDDLE MARKER AND ABOUT 1/4 MILE LEFT OF THE LOCALIZER CENTERLINE, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO A WOODED AREA ON AN EASTERLY HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES AND THEN THE TERRAIN IN A SLIGHTLY LEFT BANK AND SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ENGINE EXAMINATION AND TEARDOWN REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION. A FLIGHT CHECK OF THE ILS RUNWAY 18 WAS PERFORMED THE NEXT DAY AND INDICATED THE SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MALFUNCTIONS. THE PILOT WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC AND DID NOT REPORT ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE THE IMPACT OCCURRED. ALL PILOT AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE DESTROYED BY POST-IMPACT FIRE. PILOT'S TOTAL INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE WAS NOT DETERMINED; OBTAINED INSTRUMENT RATING 1/3/87.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/18/1988
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1739
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City CARBONDALE
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 62901
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MDH
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1647 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 240
Weather Observation Facility ID MDH
Elevation of weather observation facility 411
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1697
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 18 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1817
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37770
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N40265
NTSB Number CHI88FA046
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-250
Aircraft Serial Number 277305078
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 14 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MCCLURE CONSTRUCTION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 896 WASHINGTON
Aircraft Owner City BOURBONNAIS
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60919
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code IKK
Departure City KANKAKEE
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1603
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MDH
Destination City CARBONDALE
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18
Runway Length 5801
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --