Beech 1900C accident near Rockford, Illinois, December 10, 1997
On December 10, 1997 at about 10:19 pm local time, a Beech 1900C, registered N79GL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockford, Illinois (Greater Rockford airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper installation of aileron cables by the maintenance personnel, inadequate inspection by the company's maintenance personnel of maintenance performed, and inadequate preflight by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 1997 · about 10:19 pm local time
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · Greater Rockford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900C · all 1900Cs on the register
- Registration
- N79GL · registry record · serial UC-79
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just been refurbished, and it required a maintenance flight check before being released for flight. The pilot conducted a preflight of the airplane, checking the flight controls for freedom of movement and observing aileron movement up and down, but did not 'see' or notice incorrect aileron movement. The pilot used normal takeoff procedures. During rotation, the airplane's left wing began to drop to the left. The pilot applied right aileron, but with no effect. The airplane struck the left edge of the runway in a left wing low attitude, and the left wing impacted a taxi sign. An examination of the airplane revealed that the aileron cables were incorrectly connected at the turnbuckles in the wheelwell. The aircraft maintenance manual contained the following warning: 'Visually check to assure that aileron travel responds properly to the control wheel movement. When the control wheel is turned right, the right aileron should move up and the left aileron should move down.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,971 hours in all; 537 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,809 as pilot in command; 1,552 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,032 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1997; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,710 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-65B (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RFD at 10:05 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 8,199 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:59 pm from RFD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.