Greenwood/Wonder Lake Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mc Henry, Illinois 60050
Monday, May 22, 1989 17:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE STRUCK TERRAIN WHILE IN AN OUT OF CONTROL DESCENT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED A NORMAL TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB AND THEN THE AIRPLANE ROTATED TO A NEAR VERTICAL CLIMB FOLLOWED BY A 'HAMMERHEAD MANEUVER' TO THE LEFT. IT THEN DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FLYING PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING AN OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAY RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/22/1989
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MC HENRY
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60050
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GREENWOOD/WONDER LAKE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 10C
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 875
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1640 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 330
Weather Observation Facility ID IKK
Elevation of weather observation facility 625
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 976
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 22 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1756
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39139
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:40PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N32GR
NTSB Number CHI89DEE03
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name RUSCHKE
Aircraft Model STARDUSTER TOO
Aircraft Series Identifier STARDUSTER
Aircraft Serial Number GR-1947
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 11 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HUGHES LLOYD E
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1713 CASSANDRA LN
Aircraft Owner City MCHENRY
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60050
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LLOYD E. HUGHES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1713 CASSANDRA LANE
Operator City MC HENRY
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60050
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 10C
Departure City MCHENRY
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 9
Runway Length 3100
Runway Width 36
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --