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19960508009579A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 340A · Chicago/Waukega, IL · May 8, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 8, 1996 · 05:15 local
Place
Chicago/Waukega, IL
Airport
Waukegan Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N225BA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI96FA152
Reported as
Cessna 340A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
21,925 total822 in this make and model34 in the last 90 days
N225BARegistration cancelled Jul 20, 2017 · Cessna 340AS/N 340A1029 · Built 1980Airframe modelCessna 340AEngine modelContinental TSIO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost sight runway lights on final. Impacted short of runway. Activated lights too soon. Lights timed to shut off. (-23) on may 8, 1996, at 0515 CDT, a Cessna 340A, piloted by an airline transport pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with the ground during an ILS approach. The CFR part 91 flight was operating on an IFR flight plan. The pilot was seriously injured. The PIC stated he had activated the pilot-controlled runway lights approximately 10 minutes prior to impact while being vectored for the approach. He turned off the aircraft's landing lights to avoid glare in the cockpit. He had visual contact with the runway prior to intercepting the glideslope, and continued the approach visually. Nearing the runway threshold, he turned the aircraft's landing lights on. The runway lights 'faded' out, and the PIC then turned his landing lights off, saw nothing, and struck the ground approximately 1000 feet from the runway threshold. Post crash investigation revealed no malfunction of the pilot-controlled lighting system, the aircraft, nor its systems.

As the FAA filed it

LOST SIGHT RUNWAY LIGHTS ON FINAL. IMPACTED SHORT OF RUNWAY. ACTIVATED LIGHTS TOO SOON. LIGHTS TIMED TO SHUT OFF. (-23) ON MAY 8, 1996, AT 0515 CDT, A CESSNA 340A, PILOTED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN ILS APPROACH. THE CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PIC STATED HE HAD ACTIVATED THE PILOT-CONTROLLED RUNWAY LIGHTS APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO IMPACT WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APPROACH. HE TURNED OFF THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING LIGHTS TO AVOID GLARE IN THE COCKPIT. HE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING THE GLIDESLOPE, AND CONTINUED THE APPROACH VISUALLY. NEARING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING LIGHTS ON. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS 'FADED' OUT, AND THE PIC THEN TURNED HIS LANDING LIGHTS OFF, SAW NOTHING, AND STRUCK THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION OF THE PILOT-CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM, THE AIRCRAFT, NOR ITS SYSTEMS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96FA152Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportWaukegan, ILthe pilot's inability to maintain visual contact with the runway environment due to 'flash blindness' when he turned on the airplane's landing light, and his subsequent inability to regain control of the airplane after turning off the landing light due to his…May 8, 1996 · Substantial damage