Amateur-built DHC-8-311 incident near Savoy, Illinois, January 9, 1993
On January 9, 1993 at about 1:19 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-8-311, registered N433AW, suffered minor damage in an incident near Savoy, Illinois (U. Of I. Willard Apt airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 40 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE INBOARD RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL AXLE DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1993 · about 1:19 pm local time
- Place
- Savoy, Illinois · U. Of I. Willard Apt · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 40 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-8-311
- Registration
- N433AW · registry record · serial 305
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS DELAYED ON THE RUNWAY AFTER THE FLIGHT CREW EXCEEDED THE POWER NOSEWHEEL STEERING RANGE DURING A TIGHT 180 DEGREE TURN INTO POSITION. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO STRAIGHTEN THE (CASTORING) NOSEWHEEL USING DIFFERENTIAL POWER AND BRAKES, THE CREW CALLED FOR GROUND PERSONNEL TO ASSIST. GROUND PERSONNEL REPORTED THE INBOARD WHEEL OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR (#3 WHEEL) APPEARED TO BE LEANING AGAINST THE STRUT. THE CO-PILOT STATED THE LANDING GEAR APPEARED NORMAL AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE #3 WHEEL FELL TO THE GROUND. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FRACTURE OF THE AXLE WAS THE RESULT OF THE DEGRADATION AND FAILURE OF THE #3 INNER WHEEL BEARING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE WHEEL BEARING GREASE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,676 hours in all; 424 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,771 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 7, 1993; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 41,100 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW123 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Wisconsin, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CMI at 1:19 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 5,301 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 070° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from CMI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 37 |
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 N433AW 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.