Swearingen SA-226T accident near Wheeling, Illinois, April 11, 2007
On April 11, 2007 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-226T, registered N125WG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Chicago Executive airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Partial failure of the left engine propeller governor during the takeoff ground roll. Factors included that directional control was not possible by the pilot which subsequently led to a collision with an airport sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2007 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Chicago Executive
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226T · all SA-226Ts on the register
- Registration
- N125WG · no longer on the register · serial T250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that upon reaching approximately 75 knots during the takeoff roll, he felt a surge from the left engine. He noted that the "surging continued and positive directional control could not be regained," at which point he closed the throttles and elected to abort the takeoff. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control by using differential braking and rudder inputs. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway and impacted an airport sign, causing the nose landing gear to collapse, before coming to rest. Post accident testing of the left propeller governor unit revealed that the component pressure gain was approximately one-half of the manufacturer's specification, resulting in the unstable 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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 6,750 as pilot in command; 890 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,027 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TPE-331-10UA (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TPE-331-10UA (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 4:15 pm
- Destination: SHV Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 11 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 4:19 pm from PWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Other NTSB records under N125WG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CHI07LA108.