Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Palwaukee Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wheeling, Illinois 60090
Monday, June 24, 1991 6:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ONCE THE SINGLE ENGINE, RETRACTABLE GEAR AIRPLANE HAD TAKEN OFF THE PILOT ENGAGED THE OVERRIDE FUNCTION OF LANDING GEAR'S AUTO EXTENSION SYSTEM. PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION THE PILOT DISENGAGED THE OVERRIDE FUNCTION. THE PILOT PERFORMED HIS PRELANDING CHECKLIST DURING HIS APPROACH TO LAND AND NOTED THREE GREEN LIGHTS INDICATING GEAR EXTENSION. UPON DEPARTURE THE PILOT ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPEED, DUE TO PERCEIVED RESIDUAL WAKE TURBULENCE, THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF AND THE LANDING GEAR BEGAN TO RETRACT. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND SLID OFF INTO THE GRASS. THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE UP POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR AUTO EXTENSION SYSTEM FUNCTIONS ON THE BASIS OF LOWER AIRSPEEDS AND REDUCED POWER. THE PILOT COULD NOT RECALL IF HE HAD PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POSITION DURING HIS ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE LANDING GEAR LEVER NOT BEING ENGAGED, THE USE OF AN INADEQUATE PROCEDURE BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND THE INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION DURING TAKEOFF ROLL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/24/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 645 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WHEELING |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60090 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PALWAUKEE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PWK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 647 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 658 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PWK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 647 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 430 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43717 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:19AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2126K |
| NTSB Number | CHI91LA201 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-201R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-201R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R7918019 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 6 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SEALING SPECIALISTS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 435 SHEPPARD DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELGIN |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60123 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TRAVEL EXPRESS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | POWIS RD, DUPAGE AIRPORT |
| Operator City | WHEELING |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60185 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 615 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 2 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 5137 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |