Boeing 777-222 accident near Chicago, Illinois, December 14, 2007
On December 14, 2007 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Boeing 777-222, registered N220UA, suffered minor damage in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 263 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Emergency evacuation due to dense smoke in the cabin and the possibility of an on-board fire, which resulted in a serious injury to one of the 264 passengers and crew. An additional cause was the failure of an engine bearing, allowing oil to migrate into the environmental system, and resulted in the smoke in the cabin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 2007 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 263 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-222 · all 777-222s on the register
- Registration
- N220UA · registry record · serial 30222
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On approach for landing, about 13 miles from the airport, the flight crew was informed that the cabin was filling with smoke. The cabin crew was unable to determine the source of the smoke. The captain declared an emergency in order to get the airplane on the ground as soon as possible. The first officer performed a normal landing and turned off on the first high-speed taxiway, at which time he noticed a low oil indication on the right engine. The engine was subsequently shut down. The captain elected to initiate an emergency evacuation due to the uncertainty of the situation and the possibility of a fire on-board. During the evacuation, one passenger sustained a fracture of a vertebra. Post accident examinations revealed a low oil quantity in the right engine, with metallic deposits on one of the engine chip detectors. A detailed teardown inspection of the right engine revealed the #2 bearing had failed. The compressor gas path exhibited oil deposits consistent with oil migration into the airplane's environmental system. The cabin pressurization system utilized 8th and 15th stage engine compressor bleed air. No evidence of an engine or cabin fire was observed. The engine manufacturer had released an improved bearing design prior to the accident. At that time, the operator began replacing the bearings on an attrition basis when the original bearings were no longer serviceable. However, the operator has revised that policy and is proactively replacing the original bearings, regardless of the condition, with the improved bearings.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,327 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,597 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,287 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 640,000 lb
- Seats: 270
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW-4090 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PW-4090 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVG Shanghai at 9:00 am
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 10,144 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 15 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 248 |
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.