Cessna 551 accident near Lake In Hills, Illinois, April 1, 2002
On April 1, 2002 at about 11:15 am local time, a Cessna 551, registered N502CL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake In Hills, Illinois (Lake In The Hills airport). It was a positioning 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 deer on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2002 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Lake In Hills, Illinois · Lake In The Hills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 551 · all 551s on the register
- Registration
- N502CL · no longer on the register · serial 551-0002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a deer during an aborted takeoff. The pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll, he and the second pilot saw five deer on the north side of the runway. He said that they aborted the takeoff but during roll out, at 60 kts, another deer, that was on the south side of the runway, ran into the path of the airplane. The pilot stated that the takeoff was was being performed at early dawn.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,588 hours in all; 1,674 in this make and model; 191 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 3,618 as pilot in command; 1,604 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 15, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 134 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,600 as pilot in command; 1,230 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,093 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 18, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,700 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT 15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT 15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northern Illinois Flight Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: 3CK Lake In Hills IL at 11:15 am
- Destination: ICT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 3,058 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from DPA, 18 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI02LA115.