History of Flight
On January 28, 2020, about 1503 central standard time, a Piper PA-60-601P airplane, registration N6071R, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), Springfield, Illinois. The pilot and two passengers, along with a dog, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The flight departed Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Huntsville, Alabama, at about 1301, on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to SPI. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane climbed to 10,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and proceeded direct to SPI.
At 1440:34, the pilot contacted Springfield approach and reported level at 10,000 ft msl. The controller anticipated radar vectors for an ILS approach to runway 31. The pilot was advised of pilot reports of light-to-moderate mixed icing at 3,000 ft msl and was cleared to descend to 3,000 ft msl. The pilot reported leaving 10,000 ft at 1441:32.
During the first approach, the pilot reported difficulty receiving the localizer, and the approach controller verified the frequency (110.15 MHz). The aircraft flew through the localizer centerline and was instructed to go around. The pilot acknowledged, and the controller vectored the aircraft for a second ILS approach.
On the second approach, the pilot reported picking up ice and indicated the aircraft was above icing conditions at 3,000 ft msl. At 1500:09, the controller cleared the aircraft for the ILS runway 31 approach. The aircraft descended from 3,000 ft, but at 1502:16, it entered a left turn away from the localizer and descended below the glideslope intercept altitude (2,100 ft msl). At 1502:47, the pilot transmitted "we've got a prob," after which no further communications were received.
The final ADS-B data point at 1503:11 showed the aircraft at 641 ft msl (about 66 ft agl) with a groundspeed of 87 knots. The descent rate rapidly increased from 1,500 to about 5,450 fpm in the final seconds.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted a harvested cornfield about 6.3 nm southeast of the runway 31 threshold, left of the localizer centerline. A 200-ft debris path was oriented on a magnetic heading of 248°. The left wingtip struck first, followed by the propellers. The main wreckage came to rest among trees and a wire fence, with extensive postcrash fire damage.
Both wing spars were fractured at the roots. Flight control continuity could not be verified due to impact and fire damage. The flap control handle was in an intermediate position, and the landing gear was found extended. The instrument panel sustained severe thermal damage; the attitude indicator and HSI were destroyed and could not be tested.
Engine examinations revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The left propeller blades exhibited damage consistent with rotation under power, and the right propeller blades showed similar damage. The low pitch stops on both propellers had impact marks indicating operation near the low pitch stop angle.
Meteorological Information
An AIRMET was active for moderate icing in clouds between the freezing level and 8,000 ft msl. The pilot reported cloud tops at about 3,000 ft msl. The pilot had accessed METAR and TAF data for SPI before the flight.
Additional Information
Database cards from the Garmin 430 and 530 GPS units were recovered; the IFR database had expired on September 13, 2018, but the stored localizer frequency for the ILS runway 31 approach matched the current chart (110.15 MHz).
Two doorbell security cameras captured the final seconds. Video showed the aircraft descending in a left-wing-down, slightly nose-down attitude with landing gear extended. Audio analysis indicated propeller noise at about 2,500 rpm until two seconds before impact, then a sudden reduction to about 1,200 rpm. Propeller strike marks in the soil confirmed a groundspeed between 88 and 94 knots at impact.