by Sarah DeMaranville
Geneseo Current
A small airplane crashed in a harvested cornfield east of Gen-Airpark on Wednesday afternoon, and the pilot — the only person aboard — was airlifted to an Iowa hospital. Here's what The Current has confirmed as of Thursday morning.
The crash happened shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday in a field near U.S. 6 and E. 1700th Street in Geneseo Township, just east of the Geneseo airport. The Henry County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency; Geneseo Fire Protection District, Annawan Police, and Illinois Conservation Police also responded. A post-crash fire was reported, and the wreckage broke into pieces.
The airplane was N818TC, a Van's RV-8 — a two-seat, single-engine airplane that was built from a kit, not on a factory line. FAA records show it was completed in 2024 and received its airworthiness certificate in August of this year, making it roughly two months old.
Flight tracking data shows the airplane departed Davenport Municipal Airport at 2:41 p.m. Wednesday. The flight appears routine for its first two-thirds: a climb to about 4,500 feet and steady cruising speed. But in its final minutes, the track shows the plane maneuvering in circles near the airport getting lower and slower until the data ends at 3:08 p.m. at about 450 feet and 62 knots. The crash was reported minutes later.
The pilot was flown by MedForce helicopter to University of Iowa Hospitals. His or her condition has not been publicly released, and authorities have not publicly identified the pilot. The Current has reached out to the hospital for a condition update.
Image from FlightRadar24
The airplane was destroyed. Flight records show it had been flown on short local trips out of Davenport on both Monday and Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB typically releases a preliminary report within days of an accident; no report has been posted yet.
The Current will update this story as officials release more information.
