Piper PA-601P accident near Wheeling, Illinois, March 15, 1983
On March 15, 1983, a Piper PA-601P, registered N60801, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- March 15, 1983
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-601P
- Registration
- N60801 · no longer on the register · serial 61P074480633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER MAKING AN ILS APPROACH TO RWY 16, THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO CIRCLE AND LAND ON RWY 34. AS HE TURNED FINAL, HE WAS TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND, SO HE MADE A LEFT TURN-AROUND BACK TO RWY 34. TOWER PERSONNEL TURNED THE RWY LIGHTS UP TO HELP THE PLT LOCATE THE RWY AND CLEARED HIM TO LAND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED HIS PRELANDING CHECK, AND TO THE BEST OF HIS RECOLLECTION, HE HAD EXTENDED THE GEAR AND EXTENDED 20 DEG OF FLAPS. HE DID NOT RECALL RETRACTING THE GEAR WHEN HE MADE THE 360 DEG TURN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE WAS LANDED ON RUNWAY 34 WITH THE GEAR EITHER FULLY RETRACTED OR PARTIALLY DOWN. THE PLT STATED THAT A WHEELS UP LANDING WAS MADE WITH THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN. SCRAPE MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, BUT NO SCRAPE MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE GEAR DOORS. WHEN THE PLANE WAS JACKED UP AND HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WAS APPLIED, ALL 3 GEAR BEGAN TO EXTEND. HOWEVER, THE GEAR MECHANISM WAS DAMAGED AND WOULD NOT OPERATE PROPERLY.
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
- Flight time: 6,189 hours in all; 246 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 6,020 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 898 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Liberal KS at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N60801 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.