A report has been issued about the December 22, 2010 plane crash in Wheeling. The Daily Herald reports that:
A single-engine plane that crashed in a Wheeling parking lot last winter, killing a passenger and seriously injuring its pilot, had several mechanical issues in the months leading up to the fatal accident, according to a new report released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The 1978 Beech C24R plane lost power Dec. 22, 2010, shortly after takeoff from Chicago Executive Airport and crashed in the parking lot of the Acco building near Wolf and Hintz roads.
The report does not blame the mechanical problems for the crash, nor does it issue any definitive findings about the cause. The NTSB is expected to release a report by June further detailing investigators’ conclusions.
The report states Cole initially was unable to get the engine started before takeoff that afternoon. Even after it was started with the help of a mechanic, a witness told NTSB investigators the engine did not sound right and that he heard what sounded like “burbles.”
