What happened
On March 20, 2026, at approximately 1503 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N9913W, crashed near Rock Falls, Illinois. The aircraft was being operated as a Part 91 instructional flight. The student pilot, who had completed 10 solo flights since receiving their endorsement in February, was performing a local area flight.
According to the flight instructor, the student pilot arrived at Whiteside County Airport (SQI) around 1430. The instructor noted that winds were variable and windy, favoring both runway 25 and runway 36. While the student pilot intended to use runway 25, the specific flight maneuvers planned for the flight were uncertain.
At 1503, local emergency services received an automatic crash detection alert from the student pilot's iPhone. First responders located the aircraft upright in an agricultural field approximately 1,100 feet south of runway 25 at 1510. The student pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.
The investigation
Investigators found the aircraft resting upright on a heading of 323°. The debris field spanned approximately 36 feet, with the initial impact point containing fragments of the left wing tip and leading edge. A second impact depression was located 2 and 2 feet past the initial point, containing forward fuselage debris. The left wing had separated from the airframe and was found 67 feet from the initial impact point.
Mechanical examination revealed the following:
- The right flap and control system were in the full down position; while the handle operated normally, the control cable was jammed due to impact damage.
- Flight control continuity was established, though the elevator and aileron cables showed separations at the forward fuselage and spar box consistent with overload failure.
- The engine crankshaft and magnetos were functional, and fuel was present in the engine-driven pump.
- The fuel system was compromised in multiple locations due to impact, and the left wing tank showed hydrologic deformation.
- The aircraft was not equipped with an ADS-B Out transponder, and the Mode C transponder was in the off position.
The student pilot's logbook indicated approximately 20 hours of total flight time, with 11.1 hours of dual instruction and 3.8 hours of solo time recorded as of February 15, 2026. The instructor noted the student had completed additional solo and dual flights since that date.