- Date
- March 7, 1989, 18:59 local (Mar 8, 1989, 00:59 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 37 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N366MQShort Brothers SD360
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 14281
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The PIC followed a clearance intended for another airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The local controller positioned simmons 4058 on rwy 9L first, and then positioned simmons 4158 (this airplane) on rwy 4L. He then returned to simmons 4058, stated the rwy number, & cleared it for takeoff. Before simmons 4058 had a chance to reply, simmons 4158 (this airplane) acknowledged the clearance. Simmons 4058 queried the clearance. Realizing the confusion, and seeing simmons 4158 (this airplane) moving, the controller canceled simmons 4058 takeoff clearance. Simmons 4058 replied 'we thought that was gonna happen'. A pilot 'slowdown' was taking place at the time, and the controllers stated that pilots were taxiing more slowly than usual and appeared to get lost or confused on the ground more often. The crew of simmons 4158 vehemently denied participation in the union-related work slowdown. The safety board has issued recommendations addressing similar flight call sign confusion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N366MQ
- Reported as
- Short Brothers SD360
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- SH 3639
- Engine
- P&W PT6A, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Simmons Airlines, doing business as American Eagle
- Departed
- ORD
- Destination
- SBN · South Bend, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ORD · O'Hare Intl, runway 4L, 7,500 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 3,264 total · 1,264 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD