Beech 76 accident near Wheeling, Illinois, September 10, 2001
On September 10, 2001 at about 10:56 pm local time, a Beech 76, registered N383, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the hydraulic power pack,and the false landing gear position indication.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2001 · about 10:56 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N383 · registry record · serial ME-388
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed during landing. The flight instructor said that after takeoff the landing gear of the airplane would not retract. He said that he and his student attempted to raise the gear several times to no avail. They decided to fly the airplane to another airport with the landing gear in the down position. During the approach and landing phases of the flight, the landing gear was verified in the down position using the landing gear position indicating lights. This check was performed two times during the approach. The right main landing gear collapsed during the landing. During removal of the airplane from the accident scene it was found that the right main and nose landing gear were not completely down and locked. Only the left main was found in the locked position. Subsequent to the accident, the landing gear system hydraulic power pack was found to be intermittent.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,757 hours in all; 403 in this make and model; 245 in the last 90 days; 84 in the last 30 days; 1,664 as pilot in command; 1,265 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 21, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 79 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,117 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 24, 2001; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,397 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.