Chicago-O'hare Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chicago, Illinois 60666
Saturday, March 13, 1993 8:32 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

RUNWAY CONFIGURATION WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CHANGED FROM ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES ON RUNWAYS 32L & 32R TO DEPARTURES FROM 32R & ARRIVALS TO 32L. SIMMONS 4321, AN ATR-42, WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY THE NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER (NLC) FROM RUNWAY 32R & SUBSEQUENTLY WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN LEFT HEADING 270 DEG. THE SOUTH LOCAL CONTROLLER (SLC) THEN CLEARED UNITED 1206, A DC-10, FOR TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 32L. WHEN UNITED FLIGHT 1206 BECAME AIRBORNE, SIMMONS 4321 HAD ALREADY STARTED THE LEFT TURN WHICH PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN THE DEPARTURE PATH OF FLIGHT 1206. SEPARATION WAS REDUCED TO ZERO FEET VERTICALLY & .5 MILE LATERALLY. THE NLC SAID HE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE AREA SUPERVISOR REGARDING DEPARTURE HEADINGS (IF THERE WERE NO DEPARTURES ON RUNWAY 32L); IN THE CONVERSATION, HE THOUGHT THE AREA CONTROLLER HAD INDICATED THAT A LEFT TURN WOULD BY ALRIGHT. HOWEVER, THE AREA SUPERVISOR DENIED DISCUSSING A LEFT TURN; HIS RECOLLECTION WAS DISCUSSING THE USE OF A 340 DEGREE HEADING VERSUS A 350 DEGREE HEADING TO PROTECT FOR MISSED APPROACHES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN IMPROPER CLEARANCE BY THE NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER IFR SEPARATION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS: INADEQUATE COORDINATION AMONG THE TOWER PERSONNEL.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/13/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 832
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60666
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHICAGO-O'HARE INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ORD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 667
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 828 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ORD
Elevation of weather observation facility 667
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 100
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 29
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5038
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 15 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N426MQ
NTSB Number CHI93IA126
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ATR
Aircraft Model ATR 42
Aircraft Series Identifier ATR 42
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 34700
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 42
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHEMICAL TRUST COMPANY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 50 CALIFORNIA STREET
Aircraft Owner City SAN FRANCISCO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94111
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SIMMONS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 900 N. FRANKLIN
Operator City CHICAGO
Operator State IL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 60610
Operator Code SIMA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code ORD
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 831
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code ORD
Destination City
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 32R
Runway Length 10003
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --