Accident Overview
While taking off from Chicago-Palwaukee Airport, the airplane stalled, struck the ground, and eventually crashed into a greenhouse. The copilot suffered minor injuries, while the captain was killed.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be inadequate preflight preparation on the part of the crew. The following contributing factors were reported: selection of the wrong runway relative to existing wind, premature liftoff, failure to obtain or maintain flying speed, snow, airframe ice, ice on the windshield, downwind conditions, the pilot reported inability to see, the copilot aborted the takeoff, and snow on the aircraft. Toxicology tests indicated no alcohol in the system.