# NTSB CHI89IA054: Short Brothers SD360, N366MQ, Chicago, IL, March 8, 1989

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: March 7, 1989, 18:59 local (Mar 8, 1989, 00:59 UTC)
- Place: Chicago, IL
- Location: 41.9769° N, 87.9081° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CHICAGO O'HARE INTL (ORD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9769&lon=-87.9081&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 37 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report October 8, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 14281
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI89IA054
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/14281/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89IA054

## Probable cause

THE PIC FOLLOWED A CLEARANCE INTENDED FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Near collision between aircraft, takeoff - aborted
  - atc clearance - misread, pilot in command (cause)

## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N366MQ), registered now, S/N SH 3639 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SHORT BROTHERS SD360
- Registry model: [Short Bros SHORTS SD3-60](https://openairdocs.org/model/short-bros-shorts-sd3-60) (registry code 8100605) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: SH 3639
- Engines: 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

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 33; 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

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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