The FAA said that the plane’s tail number is N720RA, confirmed.
N10UF, N16KK, N688GS, N876MC, N48L are all on the Ramp.
It’s interesting to note the diversion it made several days ago as pointed out by someone else. To bad I wasn’t paying attention across the ramp to see what’s been going on.
It was interesting to see them load a Lear up into a box container truck with no wings or tail a few weeks ago!
I live just a quarter of a mile from the crash scene. We heard the sound of the plane coming in low. It could have crashed in any of the residential areas around the airport. Perhaps the pilots were trying to avoid houses and trees and land in the river??
Our prayers with their families and friends.
K. Saglam
Glenview, IL
Where are they parked, PTK?
The Royal Air fleet is based at PTK (KPTK). I got my ASEL here and saw these Lears all the time. Sad news indeed.
Great Circle Mapper view of route…
Maybe thier patient died? What do you do in those cases Jason? Guess it would depend on a lot of factors.
I don’t believe it was being used for air ambulance at that time; earlier posters’ sources (including the CNN article) indicate that it was already being used for freight by the new owner, Royal Air.
Aircraft was purchased Feb. 09 by Royal Air Freight Inc.
At the time, it had 15,700 hours on the airframe,
14,300 landings, engine #1 - 13,220 hours, and
engine #2 - 15,010 hours.
Asking price was $895.000.oo
Global Jet listing for N35WE accident aircraft.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Learjet was cleared for landing and was making an approach to Runway 34 at the airport about 1:30 p.m. when it went down about a quarter-mile north of Euclid Avenue.
The radar track indicates that the pilot made his approach from the east, but after making a right turn to line up with the runway made a sharp turn to the right and a northeasterly heading, possibly a correction for overshooting his initial turn. It was after the plane made another turn back to a more westerly heading that it disappeared from radar at about 2,000 feet.
** Report created 1/6/2010 Record 2 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 720RA Make/Model: LJ35 Description: 35, 36 (C-21, RC-35, RC-36, U-36)
Date: 01/05/2010 Time: 1927
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: WHEELING State: IL Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N720RA ROYAL AIR FREIGHT FLIGHT 988 GATES LEARJET 35A AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON
APPROACH TO LAND ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, WHEELING, IL
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: 1852Z 310/09KTS 10SM FEW025 BKN055 M06/M11 A3019
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Approach Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: CHICAGO, IL (GL31) Entry date: 01/06/2010
Man, that is bad… Thanks rob.
Flight crew info released;
The two men onboard a plane that crashed Tuesday in suburban Chicago were identified this afternoon, as authorities today released the names of pilot Stephen Ellis, 38 and co-pilot Ryan Daenzer, 40.
Update; Jan 14/10
-Jan 7/10 cockpit voice recorder was recovered and sent to NTSB Vehicle Recorders Labratory.
-Captain had 3,500 hours in Learjets, and the co-pilot 3,000 hours in Learjets.
-aircraft was located 2 miles South of runway 34 center line and all wreckage was within 100 feet of actual impact site.
-Preliminary air traffic control communications and radar data revealed the flight was cleared for a visual approach to runway 16, followed by a right traffic, circle to land approach to runway 34. Radar data showed the airplane enter a right traffic pattern for approach to runway 34. Several witnesses observed the airplane on downwind, base leg, and enter a right turn for final approach. During the right turn to final approach, the airplane was observed to enter a 90-degree bank right turn, roll inverted, and enter a nose down descent toward terrain.
Thanks for the update.
All things pointing to a stall 
I was very sorry to hear about this. When i saw the tail number, my heart sunk. It reminds me of the fact that we aren’t promised tomorrow. I knew Stephen Ellis from when he came into ATL a few times. While waiting for fuel and freight one rainy night, i invited him into our office and we had a good chat. I orginally met him while he was flying the EMB110 “Bandit” for RAX in 2007. It’s a shame, but a reality in the avitation world. Please pray for his family and friends at RAX.
Hello…to all. I work for Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah GA. My girlfriend is Stephen Ellis’ baby sister. And the family still has not gotten any word from the FAA or the NTSB regarding the incident, and it has been extremely hard on the Ellis and Kelly family. So thank you for your kind words.
I have done as much researching as I could, the only thing I could dig up was the NTSB prelim report. For being in the industry for as long as I have been and reading all that I have it almost seems to me that the aircraft N720RA possibly entered a stall configuration. Pilot error or not the family is looking for answers.
Is there anyone that can help? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You can listen to the ATC recording from here; Click Here the tape is 24 minutes long and mostly nothing happening.
Looking at the last 5 fatal Learjet accident that occurred in the USA,
N135PT accident Aug 4/03 Final Report July 29/05
N30DK accident Oct 24/04 Final Report June 26/06
N781RS accident Dec 28/05 Final Report July 25/07
N182K accident June 2/06 Final Report Dec 20/07
N31MC accident Oct 17/07 Final Report Dec 24/08
So you have a good idea the length of time these extremely thorough investigations take. NTSB Investigation guidelines.
for further info contact;
I just read an article about this crash and I don’t quite understand. Could someone please translate this for me? Although I get the basics…not sure what an actuator is…discolored hydraulic fluid means…I realize gouges are not good, but how does this all work together?
an actuator is basically a hydraulic switch.
From reading this, it suggests that the right side spoileron deployed or stuck unexpectedly causing an imbalanced condition that resulted in the roll and crash.
Thank you for that explanation. What is a spoileron…what is its particular function?