Cessna 310L accident near Wheeling, Illinois, May 25, 1998
On May 25, 1998 at about 5:01 pm local time, a Cessna 310L, registered N333WD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the collapse of the left main landing gear for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1998 · about 5:01 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310L · all 310Ls on the register
- Registration
- N333WD · registry record · serial 310-002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor stated that the dual student had flown the instrument approach and had relinquished the controls to him for the landing on runway 30R. The instructor stated that a normal landing was made and the aircraft rolled approximately 1,500' to 2,000' when the left landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the aircraft slid to the left, came to rest, and everyone evacuated the aircraft. Post crash investigation showed that the bellcrank assembly, of the left main landing gear, was sheared at both connection points of the strut assembly. No signs of stress, corrosion, or previous damage.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,000 hours in all; 1,650 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 19,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKG Muskegon MI at 7:15 pm
- Destination: PWK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 3,615 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from PWK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.