Accident Sequence
The airplane was cleared for takeoff on runway 18 (3,899 feet by 150 feet, dry concrete) at Merrill C. Meigs Field, Chicago, Illinois. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane impacted into Lake Michigan, approximately 300 feet south of the end of the runway.
Witness and Controller Observations
The tower controller stated that at the three-quarter field point, the airplane had not rotated. The controller reported, "All I can see are lights [from the airplane]. At the point where he would have been at the end of the runway, [I] lost the lights." A witness on the airport said that when the airplane passed, it "didn't sound like most King Airs do at that point." The witness described a pulsating sound that was not heavy, and noted that the airplane was "bouncing up and down on the [gear] struts, and wasn't coming off the ground."
Control Lock Examination
NTSB Materials examination of the pilot's control yoke revealed small distortions in the holes of the column and the rod where the control lock would be inserted. A small crack was observed around one-quarter of the control lock rod hole. The control lock was a substitute for the original airplane equipment. Examination of the control lock itself showed "several shiny scratches ... parallel to the length of the pin." A small deformation was found near the top of the pin part of the control lock.
Additional Details
The company flight department's third pilot stated that when they flew the airplane, they always placed the control lock in the pilot's side cockpit wall pocket, along with a car key and a remote hanger door opener. During the on-scene investigation, the car key and the door opener were found in the wall pocket. The control lock was recovered from the lake seven days later.