Cessna 550 accident near West Chicago, Illinois, December 3, 1993
On December 3, 1993 at about 11:17 pm local time, a Cessna 550, registered N550RD, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois. It was a business 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 collision with birds/geese shortly after takeoff. Reduced visibility in fog was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1993 · about 11:17 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N550RD · no longer on the register · serial 550-0422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOTS STATED THEY WERE ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED TO LEFT AND RIGHT. INSTRUMENTS INDICATED A LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER, AND A SUBSTANTIAL FUEL LEAK ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE FLIGHT CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TO MIDWAY AIRPORT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHERE THEY LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOTS REPORTED THEY STRUCK A FLOCK OF GEESE DURING INITIAL CLIMB. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT DEPARTURE WERE REPORTED TO BE 200 FOOT OVERCAST, 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY IN FOG, TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT OF 36 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 33,000 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 32,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kansas Air Inv., INC
The flight
- Destination: IXD Olathe KS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from DPA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.