Gulfstream 695A accident near Wheeling, Illinois, January 12, 1999
On January 12, 1999 at about 5:53 pm local time, a Gulfstream 695A, registered N20GT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois (Palwaukee Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate flight 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
The pilot-in-command (CFI)'s poor in-flight planning and decision making, and his inadequate supervision of the dual student. Factors were the tailwind condition, icing conditions, and the dual student's improper flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1999 · about 5:53 pm local time
- Place
- Wheeling, Illinois · Palwaukee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream 695A · all 695As on the register
- Registration
- N20GT · no longer on the register · serial 96036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor pilot said that there was an accumulation of ice on the airframe and the approach to the runway was with a 10 knot tailwind. The dual student flared high and a hard landing followed. After the landing the damage was discovered. When the pilot-in-command looked at the airplane he found 1/8' of ice on the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,004 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 5,899 as pilot in command; 1,935 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,973 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 1998; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-10-511 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSU Columbus OH at 3:30 pm
- Destination: PWK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from PWK
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.
Other NTSB records under N20GT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.