N502CL

On April 1, 2002, at 0515 central standard time, a Cessna 551, N502CL, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck a deer during an aborted takeoff from runway 26 (3,058 feet by 50 feet, asphalt), at the Lake in the Hills Airport, Lake in the Hills, Illinois. The positioning flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and the intended destination was the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas.

In a written report, the pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll, he and the second pilot saw five deer on the north side of the runway. He said that they aborted the takeoff but during roll out, at 60 knots, another deer, that was on the south side of the runway, ran into the path of the airplane. The pilot stated that the takeoff was was being performed at early dawn.