Beech C23 accident near Grayslake, Illinois, August 28, 2008
On August 28, 2008, a Beech C23, registered N6664N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Grayslake, Illinois (Campbell 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 inadequate flare by the student pilot and the inadequate supervision and delayed go-around performed by the flight instructor. Contributing to the accident were the student pilot's failure to attain/maintain a stabilized approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2008
- Place
- Grayslake, Illinois · Campbell Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N6664N · registry record · serial M-2386
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a hard landing during a student pilot instructional flight. The student pilot had performed two landings at the accident airport before attempting a third landing. During the third landing attempt, the airplane had a high descent rate while on final approach. The flight instructor stated that he repeatedly told the student to check the vertical speed indicator while the airplane was between final and short final. The student pilot said that before the airplane landed, the flight instructor did not say anything when engine power was reduced to idle, which resulted in the airplane slowing too much and dropping.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,480 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 174 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 1,326 as pilot in command; 133 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 11, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,082 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: The Flight Center Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PWK Wheeling IL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 09, 3,270 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from UGN, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.