Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chicago, Illinois 60638
Thursday, February 20, 1997 6:50 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The radar data observed N7134J flying on a southerly course over Lake Michigan at 3000 MSL. Weather in the area was observed to be; 25,000 feet overcast; visibility 3 miles in mist; temperature -1 degrees C; dew point -2 degrees C. An AIRMET called for icing and severe turbulence in that area at the time of the accident. There was no communication between the airplane and ATC after canceling their IFR flight plan shortly after departure. The flight path revealed an approximately 90 degree right turn towards the west with a descent from 3,100 feet MSL to 1,900 feet MSL within 14 seconds when radar contact was lost. To date, the entire wreckage was never located in Lake Michigan. Both pilots' autopsies revealed massive injuries to the head, trunk, and extremities; these injuries indicate a fairly high-energy impact.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Undetermined.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/20/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 650 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | CHICAGO |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60638 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 645 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UGN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 727 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1284 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1871 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 20 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1035 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 10 2001 3:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7134J |
| NTSB Number | CHI97FAMS1 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | T210N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | T210N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21063997 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 5 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 3473 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PROMPT AIR, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5300 W 63RD STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHICAGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60638 |
| 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 | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MKE |
| Departure City | MILWAUKEE |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 639 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SDF |
| Destination City | LOUISVILLE |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 25 2002 9:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |