Cessna 206H incident near Wheeling, Illinois, April 26, 1999
On April 26, 1999 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 206H, registered N42122, was involved in an incident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper installation of the aileron control bellcrank stop bolts and lock nuts during the manufacturing process which resulted in a binding aileron control surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1999 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206H · all 206Hs on the register
- Registration
- N42122 · registry record · serial 25
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the run-up flight control checks prior to takeoff, the pilot experienced an aileron control failure. He was unable to obtain left aileron up movement. Inspection determined that the aileron had 4 degrees of up travel. Normal travel was 20 degrees +/- 2 degrees. Further inspection revealed that one of the aileron control bellcrank stop bolt/jam nut assemblies was loose allowing the stop bolt to rotate out of the threaded boss. This restricted the aileron movement. The three other stop bolt/jam nut assemblies were also inspected and were found to be loose. The airplane was a 1999 model, s/n 25, which had a total of approximately 11 hours on it at the time of the incident. In response to this incident Cessna Aircraft Company issued Special Service Project SSP99-27-02. On June 21, 1999, the Federal Aviation Administration issued Airworthiness Directive, 99-13-04, effective July 13, 1999. The AD requires '...inspecting the left and right wing aileron control bellcrank stop bolts and lock nuts for flush and tight contact with the surface of the threaded boss on each end of the yoke assemblies, and accomplishing follow-on and corrective actions, as applicable.'
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,596 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 168 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 1,424 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LL10 Naperville IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PWK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.