Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Waukegan Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Zion, Illinois 60099
Thursday, October 31, 1991 17:55 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE SINGLE ENGINED AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND CLIMBING THROUGH CLOUDS SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. A WITNESS HEARD AN AIRPLANE'S ENGINE POWER SURGING AND OBSERVED A BRIGHT FLASH AT GROUND LEVEL SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING AND FLY PAST HIM JUST BEFORE SEEING A BRIGHT FLASH AND HEARING THE CRASH. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AN ELECTRICAL POWERLINE AND TREE BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND AND SLIDING TO A STOP. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED WATER IN THE CARBURETOR FLOAT AND ACCELERATOR PUMP CHAMBERS. THE COMMUTATOR OF THE TURN AND SLIP INDICATOR'S ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS FOUND WITH A GROOVE WORN AROUND IT AND A BLACK POWDERY SUBSTANCE PERMEATING THE INTERNAL MECHANISM OF THE INSTRUMENT. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE STATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN A FUEL SAMPLE FROM EACH FUEL SUMP ON THE AIRPLANE DURING HIS PRE-FLIGHT WALK AROUND INSPECTION. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECALL THE EVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE AFTER ENTERING THE CLOUDS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES & TRANSMISSION LINES) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/31/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1755 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | ZION |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60099 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WAUKEGAN MEMORIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | UGN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 720 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1745 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 205 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UGN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 720 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 500 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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) | 960 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45031 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5411K |
| NTSB Number | CHI92FA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17274100 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STICK & RUDDER CLUB |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2341 BEACH RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | WAUKEGAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60087 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | STICK & RUDDER CLUB |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2341 BEACH RD. |
| Operator City | WAUKEGAN |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60087 |
| 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 | UGN |
| Departure City | WAUKEGAN |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1753 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RFD |
| Destination City | ROCKFORD |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| 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 | 5 |
| Runway Length | 6000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |