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19970710036389I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Aircraft · Chicago, IL · July 10, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 10, 1997 · 08:06 local
Place
Chicago, IL
Airport
Chicago-O Hare International
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
1MIL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While enroute from selfridge angb, MT. Clemens, Michigan to madison, Wisconsin during a proficiency flight, the pilot of mint 99, a general dynamics F-16, canceled his IFR flight plan and continued VFR. Mint 99 entered the ord class b airspace without an appropriate ATC clearance. Upon contacting Chicago approach control, he was advised that he was in the class b airspace. The aircraft descended below the class b airspace and requested approval for maneuvers at and below 5,000 feet. The controller advised the pilot that could not be approved due to departures at ord. The pilot said he would then leave the area. The pilot was instructed to remain outside the class b airspace. A minute or so later the aircraft was observed by radar reentering the class b airspace to the northwest. At this time and location, ground witnesses reported a "military fighter jet aircraft" performing loops and barrel rolls during the aircraft's two high-speed passes over their residential neighborhood below a height of 500 feet. One witness huddled her children, fearing the aircraft was crashing. Throughout the entire event ord tracon's groundspeed readout was between 430 knots and 620 knots. After his "performance," mint 99 continued to madison, Wisconsin and landed uneventfully.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ENROUTE FROM SELFRIDGE ANGB, MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN TO MADISON, WISCONSIN DURING A PROFICIENCY FLIGHT, THE PILOT OF MINT 99, A GENERAL DYNAMICS F-16, CANCELED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND CONTINUED VFR. MINT 99 ENTERED THE ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT AN APPROPRIATE ATC CLEARANCE. UPON CONTACTING CHICAGO APPROACH CONTROL, HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE WAS IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND REQUESTED APPROVAL FOR MANEUVERS AT AND BELOW 5,000 FEET. THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT COULD NOT BE APPROVED DUE TO DEPARTURES AT ORD. THE PILOT SAID HE WOULD THEN LEAVE THE AREA. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. A MINUTE OR SO LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY RADAR REENTERING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE TO THE NORTHWEST. AT THIS TIME AND LOCATION, GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED A "MILITARY FIGHTER JET AIRCRAFT" PERFORMING LOOPS AND BARREL ROLLS DURING THE AIRCRAFT'S TWO HIGH-SPEED PASSES OVER THEIR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD BELOW A HEIGHT OF 500 FEET. ONE WITNESS HUDDLED HER CHILDREN, FEARING THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRASHING. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT ORD TRACON'S GROUNDSPEED READOUT WAS BETWEEN 430 KNOTS AND 620 KNOTS. AFTER HIS "PERFORMANCE," MINT 99 CONTINUED TO MADISON, WISCONSIN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.