Pilot in plane crash was asked if he could make Peoria airport: 'I doubt it'

PEORIA– The first sign that anything was wrong with the Mooney M20 plane that James Evanson was flying was a brief call over the radio saying he had an engine out.

He calmly told the Peoria airport tower about four minutes before the crash that he was having engine troubles, according to audio recordings between Evanson and air traffic control. The four-seat plane had two occupants, Evanson and his wife, Lisa, and 10 gallons of fuel – plenty to reach Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport.

But that didn't happen. Instead, the plane crashed on a stretch of Illinois Route 116 as it went through Hanna City, clipping the side of a building before it hit the ground. Both James and Lisa died in the crash.

More:Identities released of 2 victims killed in Hanna City plane crash

The audio indicates that Evanson was in contact with a controller in Peoria for about 10 minutes before the crash. Immediately after declaring engine trouble, the controller begins to asks him questions. How many souls – jargon for people – on board?

"Two," he responds at 12:27 p.m.

A few seconds later, he's asked how much fuel is left on the plane. Evanson responds, "10 gallons."

The Peoria airport was about 9 miles away, and a Mooney M20K, the model he was flying, has a range of 874 nautical miles with a full fuel capacity of about 70 gallons.

The controller asks if he can see the airport, which was off to his right, and he is heard saying, "I think we do." She asks if he can make it there and he replies that the engine is going on and off.

The controller asks again if he can make it to the runway, and Evanson says, "I doubt it." Then she mentions Route 116 and tells him to use that as a guide and to keep following the road. She gives him the number of a closed runway at Peoria to land on.

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By now, she's also heard telling other pilots communicating with her that she has a "situation," and she instructs Evanson to land on any runway at the airport that he can.

"Keep following that highway inbound and stay in contact with us. Are you going to be able to make it safely on the ground?" the controller asks at about 12:30 p.m., just seconds before the crash.

Evanson mentions he sees a town below him – likely Hanna City – and the controller asks if he can make a 180 degree turn to get out of the town. There's no response. She asks if there are any roads that he thinks he can land safely on.

There is no response.

A few minutes later, the controller asks another pilot to turn around his aircraft and fly over the area to look for the Mooney. Five minutes later, the controller informs the pilot offering help that Evanson did indeed go down. That pilot is heard saying, "I hope everyone's OK."

The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the accident, and a final report could be months away.

James Evanson was an accomplished artist who specialized in glass sculpture and functional art. Both he and Lisa Evanson were registered architects, according to an Evanson Studios website. A bio on James' website also says he served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, where he earned several honors, including the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. FAA records show that the plane was registered to James, who had a commercial aviation license as well as a license for flying helicopters.

In a news release, Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood called James Evanson's actions on Saturday "heroic" as he tried to avoid buildings and cars to land the aircraft on Route 116. His daughter said in the same release that her father's skill as a pilot showed as no one was hurt on the ground.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Minutes before crash near Peoria, pilot reported engine trouble