Cessna 340A accident near Wheeling, Illinois, February 16, 1986
On February 16, 1986 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Cessna 340A, registered N2743Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee airport). It was a personal 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
- February 16, 1986 · about 7:20 pm local time
- 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
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N2743Y · no longer on the register · serial 0938
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT THE LEFT ENG LOST PWR AT ROTATION. HE COULD THEN NOT CORRECT THE LEFT GROUND TRACK DEVIATION WITH RIGHT RUDDER. TO AVOID OBSTACLES AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY HE PULLED THE ACFT OFF THE GROUND BUT THE ACFT SOON SETTLED BACK DOWN, SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AN ENG TEARDOWN REVEALED A SMALL HOLE IN THE FUEL CONTROLLER INLET SCREEN AND A VARIABLE ABSOLUTE PRESSURE CONTROLLER OUT OF CALIBRATION. THOSE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE TEARDOWN STATED THAT THESE DISCREPANCIES WOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN THE PWR LOSS AS DESCRIBED BY THE PLT. THE REASON THE ENG LOST PWR COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,236 hours in all; 794 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 2,105 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,204 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 1985; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,200 ft; not recorded at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°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.
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.