Beech G-18S accident near West Chicago, Illinois, December 4, 1991
On December 4, 1991 at about 10:05 am local time, a Beech G-18S, registered N38RM, was destroyed in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
A RESULT OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AN IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION, AND IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION ONCE THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT ARE INADEQUATE CARGO RESTRAINTS, LOOSE CARGO, AND IMPROPER SECURITY OF THE CARGO NOT OBSERVED BY THE PILOT. ADDITIONAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT ARE THE INADEQUATE STANDARDS FOR AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY EMPLOYING AND OPERATING THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 1991 · about 10:05 am local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G-18S · all G-18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N38RM · no longer on the register · serial BA-574
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED SHE FELT THE TWIN ENGINED TAILWHEEL CARGO AIRPLANE YAW TO THE RIGHT DURING TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED SHE APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND SET DIFFERENTIAL POWER TO CORRECT FOR THE PERCEIVED RIGHT HAND CROSSWIND. AS THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF, IT MADE A SHARP RIGHT TURN AND PERFORMED LEFT AND RIGHT BANKS LEVELING OFF PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SLID THROUGH SECURITY FENCES AND A FUEL SUPPLY DEPOT BEFORE STOPPING. THE NEWSPAPER BUNDLE CARGO MOVED FROM THE TWO FORWARD BAYS TO THE AFT END OF THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THE NEWSPAPERS WERE COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAPPER. THE CARGO COMPARTMENT FLOOR WAS SLIPPERY WHEN WALKED UPON AND HAD TRACES OF SNOW ON IT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE CARGO WAS COVERED BY A CARGO NET SECURED AT THE FORWARD END BUT NOT AT THE AFT END. TWO CARGO STRAPS WERE CRISSCROSSED OVER THE NET AND SECURED AT THE AFT END OF THE CARGO LOAD. THE LEFT THROTTLE WAS FOUND IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION. THE RIGHT THROTTLE WAS FOUND ONE INCH AFT OF THE FULL FORWARD POSITION.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,571 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 203 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 4,476 as pilot in command; 1,807 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 10,200 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CVG Covington KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:00 am from DPA, 1 miles away
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 N38RM 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.