Dupage County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Chicago, Illinois 60185
Friday, May 14, 1993 14:39 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 19R. WHEN THE PILOT WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE TO RUNWAY 19L BY THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND MADE THE CHANGE. AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY'S THRESHOLD, THE CONTROL TOWER ANNOUNCED THE WIND HAD CHANGED TO 280 DEGREES AT 19 KNOTS. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE LANDING APPROACH. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S DESCENT RATE WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE, SEPARATING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FROM THEIR WING MOUNTS. THE PILOT STATED HE SHOULD HAVE ADDED MORE POWER TO CONTROL THE DESCENT RATE AND THAT THE CONTROL TOWER HAD DISTRACTED HIM WITH THE WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED ANNOUNCEMENTS

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS HE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LANDING APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN AND NOT MAINTAINING A PROPER DESCENT RATE

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/14/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1439
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City WEST CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60185
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DUPAGE COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DPA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 754
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1545 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID DPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 754
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 30000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 19
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 33
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 422
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 14 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52712
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2947E
NTSB Number CHI93LA172
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32-7940222
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 1800
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BCS AERO SALES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3850 W. 92ND PLACE
Aircraft Owner City POLK CITY
Aircraft Owner State IA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 50226
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BCS AERO SALES
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 3850 W. 92ND PLACE
Operator City POLK CITY
Operator State IA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 50226
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 CDR
Departure City CEDAR RAPIDS
Departure State IA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1515
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code DPA
Destination City
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 19L
Runway Length 3300
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --