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

Chicago, Illinois 60666
Sunday, March 21, 1993 8:06 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CONTROLLER ISSUED A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE FOR SIMMONS 4085 TO FLY THE RUNWAY HEADING. UNITED 556 WAS NEXT TO TAKEOFF AND WAS ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO FLY A HEADING OF 140 DEGREES AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT DID NOT TURN IMMEDIATELY TO 140 DEGREES AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BY THE CONTROLLER TO CONTACT THE FLIGHT WERE TO NO AVAIL. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE UNITED FLIGHT FROM OVERTAKING THE SLOWER SIMMONS FLIGHT, THE CONTROLLER STOPPED UNITED FROM CLIMBING. RADAR SEPARATION OF 3 MILES HAD ALREADY BEEN LOST BY TIME THE UNITED FLIGHT STOPPED ITS CLIMB.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE LOCAL CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN 3 MILES RADAR SEPARATION BETWEEN TWO AIRPLANES. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE LOCAL CONTROLLER'S DELAY IN REMEDIAL ACTION.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/21/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 806
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 O'HARE INT'L AIRPORT
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 677
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 750 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 3700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3700
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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) 5062
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 22 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N374MQ
NTSB Number CHI93IA127
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 de Havilland
Aircraft Model SHD-6
Aircraft Series Identifier SHD-6
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 12500
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 20
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 SECURITY PACIFIC EQUIPT LEASIN
Aircraft Owner Street Address FOUR EMBARCADERO CENTER
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 802
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DEC
Destination City DECATUR
Destination State IL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --