Boeing 757-33N accident near Chicago, Illinois, August 20, 2005
On August 20, 2005 at about 1:54 pm local time, a Boeing 757-33N, registered N557TZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Midway airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 171 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's failure to maintain clearance from a fence while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2005 · about 1:54 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago Midway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 171 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-33N · all 757-33Ns on the register
- Registration
- N557TZ · no longer on the register · serial 32591
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft sustained substantial damage during a collision with a fence while taxing to runway 22L for takeoff at the Chicago Midway International Airport. The captain stated, "Advised of 9 [minute] delay for release. Maneuvered A/C [aircraft] out of the way of other departing A/C. Went to place A/C in corner west of terminal C; east of hold short line as previously done. Both [captain and first officer] closely monitored the final left turn with respect to aircraft proximity to perimeter fence. Toward end of turn, nose wheel skipped as if crossing wet/slick pavement. ... [Flight attendant] called to state that [a passenger] had said wing had struck the fence." The airplane was found parked by hold short line for runway 22L with its right wing tip in the perimeter fence. The airplane was not on a taxiway centerline. The area was marked as a movement area. Approximately the outboard four foot section of the right wing's leading edge slat was crushed rearward and the slat was imbedded in an I-beam channel that held up the perimeter fence panels there. The I-beams were yellow and the panels were gray in color. A leading edge wing rib was dented, cracked about 1.25 inches, and was bowed. The airport perimeter fence was damaged. The operator's safety recommendation stated, "In addition to providing all of our flight crews with instructions not to enter this area, we conducted a survey of the area and recommend the following: Contact Jeppesen and recommend that the charts for the MDW Airport be revised to show this area as a "Push Back Zone" and note that aircraft should not taxi into any part of the push back zone. I spoke to several crewmembers about this recommendation and the consensus among those interviewed was that a notice on the chart would not be necessary; however, it might alert them to the fact that this is a tight area and should not be used as an alternate holding area. They believe that crews in general should not move off of marked taxi lines under any circumstance and good aviation practices, if observed, would keep this type of event from occurring."
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, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,929 hours in all; 2,298 in this make and model; 2,995 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,731 hours in all; 2,185 in this make and model; 1,682 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,821 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 1, 2005; 1,204 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 271,000 lb
- Seats: 234
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4-C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Trans Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: MDW Chicago IL at 1:54 pm
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22L, 6,446 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MDW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 163 |
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.