Beech C24R accident near Wheeling, Illinois, December 22, 2010
On December 22, 2010 at about 8:46 pm local time, a Beech C24R, registered N5293M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Wheeling, Illinois (Chicago Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The installation of the wrong engine-driven fuel pump, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff, and the pilot's subsequent decision to turn back toward the airport at an insufficient altitude to complete the maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2010 · about 8:46 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Chicago Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C24R · all C24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5293M · no longer on the register · serial MC-572
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the engine operated normally during the three pretakeoff run-ups that he performed. He stated that, after takeoff, the airplane began to sink, and he retracted the flaps at an altitude of about 200 feet above ground level. He turned the airplane back toward the airport, at which time the engine began to vibrate and lose power. The pilot leveled the wings, and the airplane contacted the roof of a building before descending into a parking lot where it struck five cars, and a postimpact fire ensued. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane having difficulty gaining altitude after takeoff. They reported that the airplane was in a nose-high attitude and that the wings were rocking back and forth. They stated that the airplane banked abruptly to the left and descended, that the landing gear remained extended, and that the flaps were retracted. The witnesses who heard the engine stated that it sounded normal during the takeoff. The engine had been overhauled and the airplane had been flown for 1 hour prior to the accident. The person who flew the airplane at that time stated it operated normally. Although a postaccident examination found foreign debris inside the fuel servo inlet strainer, the debris was most likely a result of the fuel servo being exposed to intense heat during the postimpact fire. All three propeller blades exhibited rotational signatures. Aircraft maintenance records and an inspection of the engine revealed that a low-pressure fuel pump had been installed on the engine during the engine overhaul instead of a high pressure pump. The low-pressure pump likely could not produce enough fuel pressure to sustain engine operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,132 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,089 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,951 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 29, 2010; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 8:44 pm
- Destination: 06C Schaumburg IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from PWK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11FA125.