Piper 23-250 accident near Wheeling, Illinois, January 10, 1982
On January 10, 1982 at about 7:46 pm local time, a Piper 23-250, registered N6995Y, was destroyed in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1982 · about 7:46 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper 23-250
- Registration
- N6995Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-4366
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT NOTICED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE ON BOTH ENGINES AND INITIATED A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. DURING LANDING THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 12, COLLIDED WITH, AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED TWO CESSNA 150'S AND DESTROYED A PIPER PA-32. BOTH ENGINES HAD 9X5 INCH HOLES ON THE TOP OF THE CRANKCASES AND BOTH HAD TWO CONNECTING RODS THAT HAD SEPARATED. THE ENGINE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED ON 10/16/81 WITH THE EQUIVALENT OF SAE 40 OIL. THE LYCOMING OPERATOR'S MANUAL, WHICH WAS WITH THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS, RECOMMENDS THAT SAE 20 OIL BE USED FOR OPERATION AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 10 DEGREES F. THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS -15 DEGREES F.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,640 hours in all; 382 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 1,590 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,350 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 1:42 pm
- Destination: Madison WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,450 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 5°F (-15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from PWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.