- Date
- June 10, 2011, 06:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waukegan, IL
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N23WSBeech B200
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DET-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110610018209A
- Case key
- 80759
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The lightning strike during an en route descent.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot began a descent from 16,000 feet and was being vectored for an approach when the airplane was struck by lightning. The airplane continued to perform normally and an uneventful landing was made at the planned destination airport. The pilot noticed the airplane was damaged during a post-flight walk-around. The lightning strike caused minor damage to a propeller blade on the left engine and to the left wing flap. The right elevator was substantially damaged by the lightning strike. The pilot stated they had passed an area of convective activity and were in instrument meteorological conditions with smooth air at the time of the lightning strike.
Factual narrative
The pilot began a descent from 16,000 feet and was being vectored for an approach when the airplane was struck by lightning. The airplane continued to perform normally and an uneventful landing was made at the planned destination airport. The pilot noticed the airplane was damaged during a post-flight walk-around. The lightning strike caused minor damage to a propeller blade on the left engine and to the left wing flap. The right elevator was substantially damaged by the lightning strike. The pilot stated they had passed an area of convective activity and were in instrument meteorological conditions with smooth air at the time of the lightening strike.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23WS
- Reported as
- Beech B200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BB-1143
- Airframe hours
- 6,742
- Engines
- None NONE, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-42, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Pontiac Flight Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Dovey Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 1, 2011 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Destination
- UGN · Waukegan, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- UGN · Waukegan Regional Airport
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 23, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- UGN
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.