# NTSB CHI95LA343: Beech C23, N23990, Waukegan, IL, March 31, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 31, 1995, 00:00 local (06:00 UTC) - Place: Waukegan, IL - Coordinates: 42.400398, -87.849655 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4004&lon=-87.8497&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report April 1, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10049 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI95LA343 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10049/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95LA343 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLICAL CONDITIONS. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, unknown - light condition - dusk (contributing factor) - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor) - weather condition - snow (contributing factor) - vfr flight into imc - initiated, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis THE PILOT OBTAINED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS BUT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WAUKEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1741 CST. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT ITS INTENDED DESTINATION. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A LOW FLYING AIRPLANE RESEMBLING N23990 SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 1745. THEY STATED THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS LOW CEILINGS WITH HEAVY SNOW. WEATHER RADAR INFORMATION CONFIRMS PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. SEVERAL PIECES, IDENTIFIED AS BEING FROM THE AIRPLANE, HAVE WASHED ASHORE FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS FOUND 6/22/95 ALONG THE SHORELINE. ## Factual narrative On March 31, 1995, about 1741 central standard time (cst), a Beech C23, N23990, registered to, and flown by a private pilot departed the Waukegan Municipal Airport, Waukegan, Illinois, with an intended destination of Valparaiso, Indiana. The airplane never arrived at its intended destination. Units of the Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard, and Chicago Police Department Marine Unit searched for the airplane for three days without success. The airplane is missing and presumed destroyed. The pilot was fatally injured. The pilot obtained two weather briefings but did not file a flight plan. The only contact with air traffic control was a takeoff clearance which was issued at 1741 (cst) by the Waukegan Air Traffic Control Tower. Three witnesses reported seeing an airplane resembling the missing airplane near the Lake Bluff/Libertyville, Illinois, about 1745. They described the weather conditions as a low overcast with moderate to heavy snow showers. Weather radar images confirm the presence of precipitation in the area at the time. (See attached weather data) On May 5, 1995, several pieces of metal were located along the Lake Bluff, Illinois, shoreline. The co-owner of the airplane identified one piece, approximately 6' x 1.5' with yellow, white and brown markings, as a section from the right wing of the missing airplane. On June 22, 1995, the pilot's body was located along the shoreline in Lake Forest, Illinois. Lake Forest is approximately 10 miles south of the Waukegan Municipal Airport. An autopsy was performed by the Lake County Coroner's Office, Lake County, Illinois, on June 22, 1995. On November 22, 1995, another piece of metal was located by the Lake Forest Police Department. This piece of metal was transported to the NTSB North Central Regional Office. The piece of wreckage is 33" x 10" and is yellow, white, and brown in color. (See attached sketch) According to Beech representatives, the wreckage as described appears to be a section of the underside of the right wing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N23990](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N23990-1998-09-12), registration cancelled 1998-09-12, S/N M1916 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech C23 - Registry model: [Beech C23](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-c23) (registry code 1151242) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: M-1916 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4K 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: Unknown - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: James A. Tiemann - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 1995 - Departed: UGN - Destination: VPZ, VALPARAISO, IN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, unknown; flight hours: 150 total, 40 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Dusk - Wind: 320° at 15 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 0.5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 500 ft overcast - Temperature: 32 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950331009439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950331009439A), Mar 31, 1995: Beech C23, Waukegan, IL, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Low time VFR pilot departed into IFR weather near lake at night. Found pilot and debris two months later near shore (-23) the non-instument rated private pilot… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.