CHI00FA027

Shortly after being cleared for takeoff on runway 18 (3,899 feet by 150 feet, dry concrete) at Merrill C. Meigs Field, Chicago, Illinois, the airplane impacted into Lake Michigan, approximately 300 feet south of the end of the runway. The tower controller said that at the 3/4 field point, the airplane had not rotated. 'All I can see are lights [from the airplane]. At the point where he would have been at the end of the runway, [I] lost the lights.' A witness on the airport said that when the airplane went by, it 'didn't sound like most King Airs do at that point.' There was a pulsating sound, but it was not heavy. The witness said that the airplane was 'bouncing up and down on the [gear] struts, and wasn't coming off the ground.' NTSB Materials examination of the pilot's control yoke showed that there were small distortions in the holes of the column and the rod where the control lock would be inserted. A small crack was observed around 1/4 of the control lock rod hole. The control lock was a substitute for the original airplane equipment. The examination of the control lock showed 'several shiny scratches ... parallel to the length of the pin.' A small deformation was observed near the top of the pin part of the control lock. The company flight department's third pilot said that when they flew the airplane, they always placed the control lock in the pilot's side cockpit wall pocket, along with a car key and a remote hanger door opener. The car key and the door opener were found in the wall pocket during the on-scene investigation. The control lock was recovered from the lake, 7 days later.

History of flight

On November 11, 1999, at 2020 central standard time (cst), a Beechcraft 200, N869, operated by an airline transport pilot, was destroyed when it impacted into the water immediately after takeoff from runway 18 (3,899 feet by 150 feet, dry concrete) at Merrill C. Meigs Field, Chicago, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The corporate business flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot, copilot, and passenger on board, sustained fatal injuries. The cross-country flight to South Bend, Indiana, was originating at the time of the accident.

A line employee for the fixed base operator, who removed the wheel chocks before the airplane taxied, said that neither pilot performed "any kind of walk-around or exterior preflight check of the airplane." He said that they started engines right away. As soon as they had the engines going, they were taxiing. The line employees said that he did not see any flight control surfaces move while the airplane was on the ramp.

The contract air traffic controller on duty at the time of the accident said that N869 called for taxi and told him that they were "VFR to South Bend", [Indiana]. The controller said that at the time he called, the winds were calm, so he gave N869 his choice of runways. The pilots requested runway 18. The controller said that he held N869 momentarily to check on air traffic that was going into Midway Airport. The controller then cleared N869 for takeoff. They acknowledged that they were cleared for takeoff. The controller said that the airplane back-taxied onto the overrun for runway 18. From there, they began their takeoff run. The controller said that at "3/4 field, he had not rotated. Pretty unusual for a King Air. All I can see are lights [from the airplane]. At the point where he would have been at the end of the runway, [I] lost the lights." The controller said that he "can hear the airplane as it goes past the tower. There was no surging or anything that I would know."

A witness on the ramp said that when the airplane went by, it "didn't sound like most King Airs do at that point." The witness described the engine sound as being a "lower pitch sound, not the high pitch sound you normally hear. He (the airplane) sounded just like it does when it lands, just before he goes into "beta". The engine sound was a different sound. There was some pulsating, but it was not heavy." The witness said that the airplane was "bouncing up and down on the [gear] struts, and wasn't coming off the ground. The airplane never changed noises and didn't change attitude."

Personnel information

Both the pilot and copilot were employed as corporate pilots for Jaymar Ruby, Incorporated, Michigan City, Indiana. Both pilots were certified by the company to serve as pilot-in-command in the BE-200 airplane.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land, and single-engine sea, instrument airplane, and glider ratings.

The pilot also held a certified flight instructor-instrument certificate (CFII) with privileges to instruct in single and multi-engine, instrument airplanes. The certificate had been renewed on March 8, 1999.

According to records provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aeromedical Certification Division, the pilot reported having approximately 18,000 total flight hours, on his FAA Report of Medical Examination, dated June 17, 1999.

According to insurance records provided by the company, the pilot had successfully completed BE-200 refresher training on February 28, 1998. At the time he completed this training, the pilot reported having 4,536 hours in the BE-200.

The pilot held a current second class medical certificate, with limitations, dated June 17, 1999. The certificate indicated the pilot "must wear corrective lenses for near vision." Medical records provided by the FAA Aeromedical Certification Division showed the certificate was special issuance under 14 CFR Part 67, Section 67.19, due to the pilot's previous medical history.

The copilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land, instrument airplane ratings.

The copilot also held a certified flight instructor-instrument certificate (CFII) with privileges to instruct in single-engine land, instrument airplanes. Federal Aviation Administration airman records showed the certificate was last renewed on April 16, 1992.

According to insurance records provided by the company, and the copilot's logbook, the copilot had 13,526.9 total flight hours, 3,819.1 hours in the BE-200.

According to insurance records provided by the company, the copilot had successfully completed BE-200 refresher training on February 26, 1999.

The copilot held a current second class medical certificate, with limitations, dated October 29, 1998. The certificate indicated the copilot "must wear corrective lenses for near vision."

Aircraft information

The airplane, serial number BB-176, was manufactured in August 1976. At the time of the accident, the airplane was owned and operated by Jaymar Ruby, Incorporated, Michigan City, Indiana, and was used for corporate business travel.

The airplane had undergone a continuous airworthiness inspection on August 19, 1999. The total airframe time recorded at the inspection was 8,514.0 hours.

The Hobbs meter reading, following recovery of the airplane from the water, indicated 8,635.6 hours.

Wreckage and impact information

The NTSB on-scene investigation began on November 11, 1999, at 2215 cst.

The airplane was located at the bottom of Lake Michigan, resting in 22 feet of water, approximately 300 feet south and 100 feet east of an extended centerline off runway 18 at Meigs Field.

The airplane main wreckage was recovered from the water on November 12, 1999. The main wreckage consisted of the airplane's fuselage, empennage, right wing, and right engine.

The airplane's nose section, to include the avionics bay and forward landing gear compartment, just forward of the forward pressure bulkhead, was broken laterally at fuselage station 72.380. The nose section was crushed inward and down, and broken open at the avionics bay. The nose gear and nose gear doors were broken out.

The airplane's fuselage, from fuselage station 72.380 aft to station 347.750, was predominately intact. The bottom of the fuselage was torn rearward, beginning at fuselage station 72.380, and running aft to fuselage station 207.125. The cockpit floor, and forward cabin floor were broken downward and aft. The instrument panel was broken forward and down. The center control console, containing the throttles, propeller controls, and power levers, was broken down and left. The pilot seats were bent forward and down. The forward cabin seats were broken out and pushed forward. The galley and three of five cabin partitions were broken out and destroyed.

The airplane's aft fuselage, to include the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and T-tail horizontal stabilizers and elevators was broken downward laterally, just behind the aft pressure bulkhead, at fuselage station 347.750. The fuselage section remained attached to the cabin section by flight control cables and electrical wiring. The aft fuselage section and bottom dorsal fin, beginning at the fracture, and running aft to the tailcone, was crushed upward and right. The vertical stabilizer showed minor skin wrinkles and tears. The rudder showed no damage. Flight control continuity to the rudder was confirmed. The left horizontal stabilizer and showed upward bending and rearward crushing along the leading edge, outboard of left horizontal stabilizer station 58.000. The left elevator showed minor upward bending and skin wrinkles. The right horizontal stabilizer showed minor downward bending, skin wrinkles and small tears in t