O'hare Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chicago, Illinois 60666
Saturday, May 17, 1986 9:59 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

U.S. AIR FLIGHT 373 PASSED OVER AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 695AT THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 32R AND 4L WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE TAKING OFF. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY THE LOCAL CONTROLLER AT O'HARE TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME WITHIN TWENTY FEET OF EACH OTHER DURING THE OCCURRENCE. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS INVOLVED IN GIVING ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER AVOIDANCE (SWAP) CLEARANCES WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY FORGOT HE HAD CLEARED THE U.S. AIR FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF AND THEN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER CLEARED THE AMERICAN FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 5/17/1986
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 959
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60666
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport O'HARE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ORD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 650
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 959 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ORD
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 700
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 224
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5005
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33857
Date of most recent change to record Apr 9 2001 10:27AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N973VJ N6833
NTSB Number CHI86MA142A CHI86MA142B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Minor None
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MCDONNELL DOUGLAS BOEING
Aircraft Model DC-9-31 727-223
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-9-31 727-223
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 104000 142000
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 125 134
Number of Engines 2 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name USAIR AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT BOX 619616
Aircraft Owner City WASHINGTON FORTWORTH
Aircraft Owner State DC TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20001 75261
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No No
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code USAA AALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown Unknown
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No Yes
Departure Airport Code ORD
Departure City CHICAGO
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 959 959
Departure Time Zone CDT CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code PIT OKC
Destination City PITTSBURGH OKLAHOMA CITY
Destination State PA OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 4L 32R
Runway Length 7500 10003
Runway Width 150 150
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --