| Crash location | 38.461667°N, 90.229445°W |
| Nearest city | Columbia, IL
38.443664°N, 90.201224°W 2.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N624FL |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 28 Jul 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA28 |
| Additional details: | None |
On July 28, 2018, about 1225 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28 airplane, N624FL, collided with terrain near Columbia, Illinois. The flight instructor, student pilot, and 2 passengers were are seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provision of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to information provided by the pilots, on takeoff from Sackman Field Airport (H49), Columbia, Illinois, the airplane did not gain altitude. The airplane continued forward about a mile from the runway where they came upon a transmission line. The pilots tried to avoid the transmission line, but the airplane contacted the line, descended, and impacted terrain.
The airplane was retained for further examination.