Beech C23 accident near Waukegan, Illinois, March 31, 1995
On March 31, 1995 at about 6:00 am local time, a Beech C23, registered N23990, was destroyed in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLICAL CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1995 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Waukegan, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N23990 · no longer on the register · serial M-1916
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OBTAINED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS BUT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WAUKEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1741 CST. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT ITS INTENDED DESTINATION. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A LOW FLYING AIRPLANE RESEMBLING N23990 SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 1745. THEY STATED THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS LOW CEILINGS WITH HEAVY SNOW. WEATHER RADAR INFORMATION CONFIRMS PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. SEVERAL PIECES, IDENTIFIED AS BEING FROM THE AIRPLANE, HAVE WASHED ASHORE FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS FOUND 6/22/95 ALONG THE SHORELINE.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: UGN at 11:41 pm
- Destination: VPZ Valparaiso IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.