This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N19FB
- History of Flight:
On March 4, 2026, at about 2141 local time, a privately-registered Cessna T210M Turbo Centurion, N19FB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Deerfield, Illinois. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country flight originated from Necedah Airport (DAF/KDAF), Necedah, Wisconsin, and was destined to Chicago-Executive Airport (PWK/KPWK), Wheeling, Illinois.
According to preliminary automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, at 2049 LT, the airplane KDAF and entered a climb to an inflight cruising altitude of 5,000 ft. At 2127:33, the airplane turned east on a magnitude 110.0° and began a descent towards 2,400 ft. At 2137:21, the airplane turned south and began a descent towards KPWK. At 2140:00, the airplane was at 1,100 ft, 130 knots groundspeed, and descending 2100 feet per minute (fpm) about 7 miles north of the airport. The airplane continued to descend to 800 ft before it began deviating right and started a brief climb from that altitude. At 2141:10, the airplane was still at 800 ft and began turning right, likely in an attempt to go back to the approach course. At 2141:43, the airplane entered a descending left hand turn, which continued until the end of the track. The last ADS-B return was recorded at 2141:56, the airplane was at 600 ft, 110 knots groundspeed, and descending 1150 feet per minute (fpm) about 3 miles north of the airport.
Figure 1: ADS-B data ran through Google Earth
Figure 2: View of approach and destination airport with a line drawn showing runway 16 course
Figure 3: View of final moments of approach
Figure 4: ADS-B exchange track with altitudes and groundspeeds
The airplane subsequently impacted a house then terrain before coming to rest.
- Pilot Information:
The pilot, aged 75, held a commercial pilot certificate (last issued/updated on 7/11/2023) with a rating for airplane single engine land and an instrument rating. His second class FAA medical was issued on 12/2025.
- Aircraft Information:
The airplane, serial number 21061668, was manufactured in 1976. It was a single engine, high-wing, all-metal airplane of semimonocoque design. It has a maximum seating capacity of six occupants.
The airplane was powered by a Continental TSIO-520 SER engine. The propeller was a three-bladed McCauley.
According to the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH): "Kinds of Operation Limits"
The airplane is equipped for day VFR and may be equipped for night VFR and/or IFR operations. FAR Part 91 establishes the minimum required instrumentation and equipment for these operations. The reference to types of flight operations on the operating limitations placard reflects equipment installed at the time of Airworthiness Certificate issuance.
Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited; however, the airplane may be equipped with a known icing equipment package which allows flight penetration of icing conditions as defined by the FAA.
- Wreckage and Impact Information:
The airplane struck the roof of a townhouse before impacting terrain. It came to rest inverted, but was not consumed by post crash fire. The wreckage was highly fragmentated during the impact sequence.
- Weather:
(1) Brief:
The reported weather at 2139, about 2 minutes before the accident, included winds from 070 at 5 knots, 0.75 miles visibility, a vertical visibility of 200ft AGL, a temperature of 3°C, a dewpoint of 3°C, an 30.03 inches of mercury.
(2) METARs and TAFs:
METAR KPWK 050212Z 05006KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC003 03/03 A3003 RMK AO2 T00330028
METAR KPWK 050259Z 00000KT 1SM BR OVC003 03/03 A3004 RMK AO2 SFC VIS 1 3/4 T00330028
METAR KPWK 050339Z 07005KT 3/4SM BR VV002 03/03 A3003 RMK AO2 TWR VIS 1 T00330033
METAR KPWK 050352Z 07004KT 1/2SM FG VV002 03/03 A3002 RMK AO2 TWR VIS 1 SLP172 T00330033
METAR KPWK 050409Z 07005KT 1/2SM FG VV002 03/03 A3001 RMK AO2 TWR VIS 1 T00330033
TAFS:
KORD 050030Z 0501/0606 05005KT 1SM -SHRADZ BR SCT003 OVC004
TEMPO 0501/0505 3/4SM -RADZ BR OVC003 FM050500 03004KT
1/2SM -DZRA FG SCT002 OVC003
TEMPO 0510/0514 1/4SM -DZRA FG VV002 FM051800 04005KT
2SM BR OVC004=
KORD 050259Z 0503/0606 05005KT 1SM -SHRADZ BR SCT002 OVC003
TEMPO 0503/0506 3/4SM -RADZ BR OVC002 FM050600 03004KT
1/2SM -DZRA FG OVC002
TEMPO 0510/0514 1/4SM -DZRA FG VV002 FM051800 04005KT
2SM BR OVC004=
(3) Area Forecast Discussion:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL
742 PM CST Wed Mar 4 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Periods of dense fog may impact portions of the area tonight
through Friday morning.
- Waves of showers and drizzle are expected tonight into
Thursday. A few thunderstorms will be possible as well.
- Friday will be windy and unseasonably warm, with a period of
showers and embedded thunderstorms during the daytime hours
and then more widespread showers and scattered storms late
Friday night into early Saturday. Some of these storms may be
strong to even severe, though confidence is low.
&&
.UPDATE...
Issued at 741 PM CST Wed Mar 4 2026
A recent hand surface analysis revealed a weak area of low
pressure in southern Illinois along a stalled frontal zone
stretching from eastern Oklahoma through central Illinois and
into southern Ohio. The lead low pressure system is supporting a
region of showers and thunderstorms moving just north of the
Ohio River toward southwestern Ohio, as well as showers and
drizzle across northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana within
a weak region of deformation and upper-level diffluence.
Meanwhile, a secondary area of low pressure is located near the
Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa border regions beneath an
upper-lvel shortwave, which is supporting another round of
showers and thunderstorms within the baroclinic zone stretching
from far northern Texas through southern Missouri. In all, it`s
a rather wet evening across the Mississippi and Ohio River
Valleys.
Over the next few hours, the lead low pressure system will
shift eastward into central Indiana leading to a gradual
decrease in local shower and drizzle coverage. As the low-level
pressure gradient relaxes within the baroclinic zone ahead of
the next shortwave, the low-level wind field beneath 10,000 feet
will effectively stagnate. When paired with trapped low-level
moisture beneath the inversion, conditions will become ideal for
the formation and maintenance of dense fog. Indeed,
visibilities across central Illinois (on the backside of the
lead low pressure system) have been rapidly falling in the past
hour, with many stations logging observations of one quarter of
a mile or lower. With this in mind, confidence is fairly high
that much of our area will get socked in dense fog overnight,
especially southeast of a line from Dixon to Waukegan where rain
is falling/has fallen this evening. Will be watching
observations closely over the coming hours for the issuance and
ultimate northward expansion(s) of Dense Fog Advisories. While
not the most interesting aspect of the forecast tonight,
temperatures will stay pretty much where they`re at from now
through at least daybreak Thursday.
Toward daybreak, the secondary low pressure system will lift
along the low-level baroclinic zone ushering in another round of
showers and thunderstorms across southern Illinois and central
Indiana. While some of this activity may graze portions of the
US-24 corridor (currently eyeing the activity that is developing
just south of Kansas City, Missouri), the brunt may end up
missing our area to the southeast. With little change in the
position of the warm frontal zone tomorrow and a continuation of
fairly light winds in the column due to a baggy pressure
gradient, am growing concerned that dense fog will struggle to
erode after daybreak and potentially remain through much of the
day. Such a threat appears highest across northeastern Illinois
where what flow will exist will be off Lake Michigan thereby
reinforcing low-level moisture beneath the inversion. Have gone
ahead and maintained areas of fog in the gridded database across
northeastern Illinois through Thursday afternoon for this
reason.
After making a few adjustments to the gridded database (mainly
cosmetic), will go ahead and ship out updated text products.
Borchardt
.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 611 PM CST Wed Mar 4 2026
Key Messages:
- Low stratus and fog will result in LIFR and IFR conditions
through most or all of the TAF period.
- Periods of drizzle and rain showers will continue through
tomorrow afternoon.
Abundant low-level moisture and relatively stagnant low-level
flow will maintain gloomy conditions with low stratus and fog
throughout the current TAF period. LIFR ceilings are already
being observed at press time at the Chicago metro terminals, and
don`t foresee much, if any, improvement occurring until later
tomorrow morning. RFD should maintain MVFR ceilings for a few
more hours this evening, but ceilings there are likely to
deteriorate to IFR/LIFR levels later tonight as the better low-
level moisture oozes northward.
Between drizzle, rain showers, and fog, visibilities will also
largely remain at 1SM or lower at the Chicago metro terminals
through the night and into tomorrow morning. Potential for VLIFR
visibilities with dense fog is also evident, especially during
the later overnight and early morning hours. RFD may remain
northwest of the densest fog tonight, but at least MVFR
visibilities are still likely to be observed there. Visibilities
will be slow to improve after sunrise tomorrow, but the densest
fog is expected to be gone by the early afternoon.
Winds throughout the TAF period will remain below 10 kts and
predominantly be from a northeasterly direction when not
calm/variable.
- Additional Information:
No
