Beech 1900D accident near Chicago, Illinois, February 10, 2001
On February 10, 2001 at about 10:53 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N97UX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 7 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew not lowering the landing gear and/or verifying the landing gear position as required by three separate checklists, which resulted in an inadvertent gear-up landing. A factor to the accident was the flightcrew not complying with the required minimum equipment list placard that prohibited the silencing of the landing gear warning horn.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 2001 · about 10:53 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N97UX · no longer on the register · serial UE-97
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The crew unintentionally landed the airplane with the landing gear in the fully retracted position. The crew did not lower the landing gear or check the landing gear position as required on the flaps-up landing checklist, the normal landing checklist, and final checklist. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), the landing gear unsafe warning horn did not sound during the entire recorded portion of the accident flight. The minimum equipment list (MEL) requires the installation of a placard that prohibits the silencing of the landing gear warning horn when the flap system is inoperative. The accident airplane had a placard that stated, "Do not silence gear warning horn." No anomalies were found with the landing gear system including the landing gear unsafe warning horn, the red landing gear control handle lighting, and the landing gear position lights. The flap system and ground proximity warning system (GPWS) were inoperative for the accident flight and were listed on the MEL as items that could be inoperative for revenue flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,450 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 302 in the last 90 days; 97 in the last 30 days; 2,240 as pilot in command; 907 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,449 hours in all; 191 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 83 in the last 30 days; 171 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 4, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,997 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 5, 2001; 16.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,060 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPI Springfield IL at 10:05 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4R, 8,071 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.48 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 | 8 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.