Cargo Aircraft Down at PWK

[straitman]

[FONT=&quot]Cargo Aircraft Down at PWK [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

A Lear 35A cargo aircraft crashed on approach to Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) in Wheeling, Ill., early yesterday afternoon. Both pilots were killed in the accident and the aircraft was destroyed.

The accident occurred at approximately 1:30 CST as the Lear approached Rwy 34/16, at 5,000 ft long, the airport's main runway. The aircraft crashed approximately 1 mile south of the airport, formerly known as Palwaukee Municipal, and came to rest in the Des Plaines River where it courses through a forest preserve.

Weather at the time of the accident was clear, and temperatures were below freezing.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to investigate.

The aircraft was operated by Royal Air Freight Inc. of Waterford, Mich., where it was based. However, it was arriving from Pontiac, Mich., when it crashed. An airport spokesperson said the airplane was to have uploaded cargo at Atlantic Aviation and then fly to DeKalb-Peachtree in Atlanta.

Recovery operations at the crash site were underway at nightfall. William Garvey

AviationWeek.com Business Aviation Channel

 

[samh004]

An airport spokesperson said the airplane was to have uploaded cargo at Atlantic Aviation and then fly to DeKalb-Peachtree in Atlanta.

So it was empty (cargo-wise)?

Seems a little odd, wonder if the pilot tubes are going to be getting the blame first up. I couldn’t read the story from the link posted, but according to this article, there was an explosion, so i guess it wasn’t out of fuel (plus it mentions over 200 gallons of fuel - that a lot?), and the temperature was reported as 21ºF (-6ºC).

Photo here.