- Date
- May 10, 1988, 16:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 95 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N981LLBeech 200N1065TMcdonnell Douglas DC-9
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 32058
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
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
Midway flt 172 (Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9, N1065T) was on an IFR departure from Chicago midway arpt at the same time that Beech 200, N981LL, was on an IFR arrival for a visual apch to merrill c meigs arpt, although both were in VMC. Previously, o'hare TRACON had restricted easterly departures from midway to not less than 20 mi in-trail. Subsequently, the handoff controller (ctlr) at TRACON instructed the ctlrs at midway tower to 'cancel the restriction,' meaning to cancel the in-trail restriction. However, the ctlrs at midway thought this was in reference to a climb restriction on the canal three SID which flt 172 was using. Subsequently, flt 172 & N981LL converged as flt 172 was climbing to 3000 ft & N981LL was dscndg to 2000 ft. radar data showed the acft passed each other with less than the required vertical & horizontal sepn.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N981LL
- Reported as
- Beech 200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BB602
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-41, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- State Of Illinois
- Registered owner
- State Of Illinois
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SPI · Springfield, IL
- Destination
- MEI · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MDW · Chicago Midway
- Registration
- N1065T
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 45779
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Midway Airlines
- Registered owner
- First Bank Of Utah
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- PHC · Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MDW · Chicago Midway, runway 31L, 6,519 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N981LL
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,431 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1065T
- Age
- 45
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 7,173 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 11 nm away