# Incident 20181015020092I: Boeing 737-7H4, Chicago, IL, October 15, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 15, 2018, 07:07 local time
- Place: Chicago, IL
- Airport: Midway Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Collision: Collision on the ground
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: SWAA
- Location: 41.8500° N, 87.6501° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Chicago, IL, within about 9 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8500&lon=-87.6501&mi=10
- Aircraft: N416WN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N416WN-2025-09-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-7H4 (registry code 1384404, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-7h4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: CFM International CFM56 series (registry code 13802, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737-7H4
- Reported engine: CFM INTL. CFM56 SERIES
- People aboard: 138
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 12,588 total, 3,382 in this make and model, 211 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181015020092I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 15TH AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 CDT, A SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N8314L, A BOEING 737-8H4, WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N416WN, A BOEING 737-7H4, AT MIDWAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ON THE GROUND AND TAXIING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE GATES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

N8314L WAS STOPPED AND WAITING TO FINISH TAXIING INTO GATE B25. PILOT STATEMENTS WERE SUPPLIED BY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. IN THIS STATEMENT, THE PILOT OF N8314L STATED THAT HE STOPPED TAXIING INTO GATE B25 BECAUSE A BAGGAGE CART WAS PARKED ON THE RED SAFETY LINE. WHILE HE WAS WAITING FOR THE BAGGAGE CART TO BE MOVED BY GROUND PERSONNEL, HE FELT A JOLT TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN ASKED THE FIRST OFFICER TO CONTACT ATC AND ASK IF THEY HAD BEEN STRUCK BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT OF N416WN CONFIRMED VIA RADIO THAT THEY HAD STRUCK N8134L.

BECAUSE N8314L HAD STOPPED TAXIING INTO GATE B25, THE AFT END OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL PARTIALLY IN THE MOVEMENT AREA. WHILE N8314L WAS STOPPED, AIRCRAFT N416WN ATTEMPTED TO TAXI BEHIND N8314L IN ORDER TO REACH ITS ASSIGNED GATE, B26. I SPOKE TO THE CAPTAIN OF N416WN IN PERSON AND HE STATED THAT HE LOOKED OUT OF THE LEFT WINDOW AND THOUGHT HE COULD CLEAR THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. AS HE PROCEEDED, THE LEFT HAND WING TIP OF HIS AIRCRAFT, N416WN, MADE CONTACT WITH THE RIGHT HAND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF N8314L, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO BOTH AIRCRAFT. NO CREW OR PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. N416WN PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO ITS ASSIGNED GATE, B26. THE PILOT OF N8314L DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND BE TOWED INTO THE GATE.  BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE DEPLANED AND MOVED TO MAINTENANCE FACILITIES FOR REPAIR.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N8314L, Boeing 737-8H4: no report for this aircraft; [N8314L](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8314L) is registered now

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
