Late last night, scanner traffic of both Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District and Chicago O'Hare Airport ATC indicated a small airplane had crashed into a wooded residential area in Riverwoods, Ill. Initial fire crews on the scene reported the airplane had impacted the trees and came to rest behind the homes. The incident was upgraded to an EMS, life safety, box bringing multiple ambulances to the scene.
Initially O'Hare TRACON ATC radio traffic indicated the plane was a Piper Navajo, with an unknown number of people aboard. An FAA spokesperson stated there were 5 people aboard the plane, which originated from Florida and made a fuel stop in Jessup, Ga. and was operating as a 'Lifeguard' flight, transporting an 80 year old male patient for conitnuing treatment in Chicago.
A small fire was initially reported on board the aircraft and was quickly extinguished by firefighters. The FAA did confirm that two occupants of the airplane, including the airplanes pilot, were pronounced dead on the scene. The patient and his wife were listed as the other two fatalities. The elderly couple resided in Streamwood, Ill, with a vacation home in southern Florida and were returning to the Chicago area to spend time closer to family during his medical treatments. It appears that the two survivors include the co-pilot and the flight medic. The extent of their injuries is not known but both are expected to survive.
The FAA did state that the pilot did inform ATC that he was experiencing some sort of fuel problem just prior to the crash. Reviews of ATC recordings show the pilot declaring an emergency shortly after contacting the O'Hare TRACON controller. The pilot stated they were 'out of fuel.' ATC attempted I clear them direct to Chicago Executive Airport but the pilot responded 'Unable' and later added they were just 'coasting' down.
Based on the recordings, it appears the Piper Navajo was completely starved of fuel at that point. It's unknown at this time if the fuel exhaustion was a result of a pilot error or a mechanical failure.
The NTSB and FAA are already in route to begin the investigation and an official cause may not be released for up to a year.
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