Investigator In Charge (IIC): Gallo, Mitchell
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; St. Louis, Missouri
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida
https://registry.faa.gov/N5235P
Location: St. Jacob, Illinois
Accident Number: CEN22FA298
Date and Time: July 2, 2022, 11:35 Local
Registration: N5235P
Aircraft: Piper PA-24-250
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On July 2, 2022, at 1135 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5235P, was involved in an accident near St. Jacob, Illinois. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot received serious injuries and a private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
A witness stated that he saw the airplane had made several takeoff and landings prior to the accident. He heard the airplane taking off again and said the “engine started to sputter right after it lost power, in and out couple of times.” The right wing then dropped down, and the airplane started to rotate clockwise as viewed from above. The airplane impacted terrain near the departure end of runway 13.
The airplane wreckage was retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N5235P
Model/Series: PA-24-250
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: BLV,459 ft msl
Observation Time: 11:32 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C /22°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 1700 ft AGL
Visibility: 5 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: St. Jacob, IL
Destination: St. Jacob, IL
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 38.728889,-89.803056 (est)
Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances just beyond the departure end.
Date: 02-JUL-22
Time: 16:39:00Z
Regis#: N5235P
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA24
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew: 1 Serious Injuries
Pax: 1 Fatal
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
City: ST JACOB
State: ILLINOIS
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.
Robert Leroy Binger
October 3, 1961 - July 2, 2022
~
Robert Leroy Binger, 60, of Lake City, Florida and formally of Collinsville, Illinois died on Saturday, July 2, 2022 from injuries sustained in an airplane crash near St. Jacob, Illinois.
He was born on October 3, 1961 in St. Louis, Missouri to Melvin and Ruth Ann (Haar) Binger.
Robert married Tammy Weygandt in Paducah, Kentucky on August 8, 2002.
The loving husband and father worked as a registered nurse for 20 years. He was a licensed pilot and airplane mechanic who enjoyed boating, building cars and spending time with his family. Robert was a member of ICS International Comanche Society, the AOPA and the NRA.
Besides his wife and mother, Robert is survived by a daughter, Kristin (John) Mayo of Collinsville, IL; a son, Sean (Brandy) Binger of Maryville, IL; 2 step sons: Tyler Puricelli of St. Louis, MO and Anthony Jr(Katie) Puricelli of St. Louis, MO; 4 grandchildren: Ava, John Jr, Ashley and Clara; a sister, Patricia (Steven) Johnson of Anchorage, AK; 2 nephews: Benjamin Johnson and Christopher Johnson and a niece, Lisa Binger.
Robert is preceded in death by his father; a brother, Thomas Binger and a nephew, Trevor Johnson.
A memorial visitation will be held Saturday, July 16, 2022 from 2:00-5:00 pm at Wojstrom Funeral Home & Crematory
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for memorial donations to be made to the charity of your choice.
Professional services entrusted to the care of Wojstrom Funeral Home & Crematory in Granite City, IL.
Online guestbook and obituary available at www.wojstrom.com
ST. JACOB, Illinois - Illinois State Police has released more information on a single airplane fatal crash today in rural St. Jacob at Keck Road, just west of Illinois Route 4 in Madison County.
The crash occurred at approximately 11:39 a.m. A 60-year-old Lake City, Florida, man died in the accident and a 39-year-old man from Edwardsville suffered life-threatening injuries.
These are the details from the Illinois State Police report:
AIRCRAFT:
Unit 1 – Piper PA-24-250 Comanche
PILOT:
Unit 1 – Buck E. Martin, a 39-year-old male from Edwardsville, Illinois – Transported to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries.
CO-PILOT:
Unit 1 – Robert L. Binger, a 60-year-old male from Lake City, Florida – Deceased
PRELIMINARY: Preliminary information indicates the following occurred: The aircraft took off from St. Louis Metro East Airport. For unknown reasons, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed on Keck Road just west of Illinois Route 4. The pilot of the aircraft was transported to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries and the co-pilot was pronounced deceased on scene by the Madison County Coroner. This is an on-going investigation and no further information is available at this time.
A single-engine plane circled near a Madison County airport multiple times before it crashed on Saturday, causing the death of a Florida man and injuring an Edwardsville man.
According to FlightAware flight tracking data, the aircraft traveled southwest after leaving the Eagle Creek Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana, and flew to Madison County.
The two pilots then circled five times at the St. Louis Metro-East/Shafer Field Airport destination in the 30 minutes prior to the crash at 11:30 a.m. Their plane also gained and dropped in altitude multiple times before the crash off Keck Road near St. Jacob.
Robert L. Binger, 60, of Lake City, Florida, died in the crash. Buck E. Martin, 39, of Edwardsville, was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Here are additional details from FlightAware flight tracking data from Saturday:
At 8 a.m. Central time, the Piper PA-24-250 Comanche took off from St. Louis Metro-East/Shafer Field Airport in Madison County and arrived at Eagle Creek Airport in Indiana at 9:14 a.m.
The plane left the Indiana airport at 9:29 a.m.
While arriving at its Madison County destination, the aircraft was at an altitude of 1,725 feet at 10:40 a.m
At 10:50 a.m., the aircraft was at 825 feet while going 87 mph.
The aircraft did not go below 79 mph and maintained an altitude under 1,125 feet for 40 minutes before the crash.
Binger was the registered private co-owner of the Piper PA-24-250 Comanche which was manufactured in 1958, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The other name on the aircraft’s registration is Tammy Binger, whose relationship to Robert Binger was not immediately available.
FlightAware, an aviation company, posted information online on the path of the flight on Saturday.
FlightAware provides real-time positions and predictive flight tracking for aircraft flying over land worldwide.
The weather conditions on Saturday morning were rainy and overcast.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
