- Date
- August 12, 1995, 00:30 local (05:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wheeling, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N43847Piper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950812023429A
- Case key
- 9990
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 pilot's abrupt raising of the flaps during the attempted go-around and the resulting stall.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was attempting to land with the flaps in the full down position. The airplane 'shifted (yawed) slightly to the right' and he initiated a go-around. When the pilot raised the flaps abruptly to the full up position, the airplane stalled and impacted the terrain. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact airframe or engine malfunction. The pilot operating handbook (POH) for the Piper PA-28R-201 does not list specific procedures for executing a go-around.
Factual narrative
On August 12, 1995, at 0030 central daylight time, a Piper PA- 28R-201, operated by Hectic Air, Inc., sustained substantial damage when it impacted the terrain during an attempted go-around in Wheeling, Illinois. The pilot sustained serious injury and the sole passenger reported minor injury. The personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight originated in Delavan, Wisconsin, with a planned destination of Wheeling, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
In his written statement the pilot reported that he was attempting to land on runway 16 with the flaps in the full down position. The airplane "shifted (yawed) slightly to the right" and he initiated a go-around. The landing gear and flaps remained down. The airplane stalled and impacted the terrain.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who interviewed the pilot, the pilot reported that he raised the flaps abruptly to the full up position during the go-around. He heard the stall warning horn. The airplane descended and impacted the terrain.
The FAA airworthiness inspector who examined the wreckage reported no evidence of preimpact airframe or engine malfunction.
The pilot operating handbook (POH) for the Piper PA-28R-201 does not list specific procedures for executing a go-around. During a telephone interview on February 16, 1996, a representative of The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., reported that the "accepted procedure" was to apply maximum power, raise the flaps to the approach configuration, raise the landing gear when a positive rate of climb is established, establish best rate of climb airspeed, then raise the flaps.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43847
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-773
- Airframe hours
- 3,127
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Windy City Flyers
- Registered owner
- Hectic Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 1995 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- C59 · Delavan, WI
- Airport
- PWK · Palwaukee Municipal, runway 16, 5,137 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 9 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.