Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Waukegan Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waukegan, Illinois 60087
Wednesday, May 8, 1996 5:09 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was being vectored for an ILS approach when he activated the runway edge lighting. He said he saw the lights as he was being vectored to the final approach course. While on final approach he extended the landing gear and illuminated the landing lights. The lights caused a cockpit glare and he turned them off. As the airplane was passing through 500 feet above ground, he turned the landing lights on a second time. He said he saw a big glow and turned the lights off a second time. After he did this he said he saw nothing. The airplane collided with the ground and MASLR light stand. It was found about 1 hour and 15 minutes after the ground collision. A searcher said the visibility was about 400 feet. The pilot said he was aware of a NOTAM about the inoperative VASI, REIL, and Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System and Runway Alignment Indicator (MASLR). An FAA CAMI optometrist was told the circumstance's surrounding the accident. He said what the pilot experienced was a '...classic case of flash blindness.' Information he provided showed the pilot would have a blind gap in his visual field under circumstances he encountered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inability to maintain visual contact with the runway environment due to 'flash blindness' when he turned on the airplane's landing light, and his subsequent inability to regain control of the airplane after turning off the landing light due to his loss of night vision. A factor was the bright light condition encountered by the pilot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/8/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 509 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WAUKEGAN |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60087 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WAUKEGAN REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | UGN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 55 |
| Airport Elevation | 723 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 453 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 185 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PWK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 720 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1066 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 8 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 615 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N225BA |
| NTSB Number | CHI96FA152 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 340A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 340A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 340A1029 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5990 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 6285 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BETTY F. ADELMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2255 EGANDALE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HIGHLAND PARK |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60035 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DPA |
| Departure City | WEST CHICAGO |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 500 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | UGN |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 6000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |