Huntsville – Springfield

On January 28, 2020 at 03:09 PM, Huntsville – Springfield experienced a crash involving Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601), operated by LKJ Properties, with the event recorded near Springfield Illinois.

The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a city crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

On approach to Springfield-Abraham Lincoln, the pilot reported trouble with his instruments when the airplane descended and crashed left wing first in a garden located in Sangamon County, about 7 miles southeast of the airport, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed, among them former Springfield Mayor Frank Edwards.

Aircraft reference details include registration N6071R, MSN 61P-0686-7963324, year of manufacture 1979.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 39.7990°, -89.6440°.