Swearingen SA-227 incident near Chicago, Illinois, February 25, 1982
On February 25, 1982 at about 2:15 am local time, a Swearingen SA-227, registered N192MA, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1982 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-227 · all SA-227s on the register
- Registration
- N192MA · registry record · serial AC-476
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, THE RUNWAY WAS SLIPPERY AND THE TURN ONTO THE RUNWAY WAS DIFFICULT. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS ACTIVATED MOMENTARILY TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSE, BUT WAS TURNED OFF PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AT THE DESTINED AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED AT APPROXIMATELY 115 KTS, AS SOON AS THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT. FULL LEFT BRAKE AND RUDDER DID NOT CORRECT THE SWERVE. THE NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR WAS EXAMINED AND NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION WAS REVEALED. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY SAFETY BULLETIN AND AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURE BULLETIN, THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SWITCH MUST BE OFF AND VERIFY THE NOSE WHEEL WILL CASTER (BY DISPLACING THE NOSE OF AIRCRAFT LEFT OR RIGHT USING BRAKES AND/OR ASYMETRIC ENGINE POWER) PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THIS PROCEDURE IS TO BE PERFORMED BEFORE EVERY TAKEOFF WHILE TURNING ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING MUST NOT BE ARMED UNTIL THE SUBSEQUENT LANDING IS COMPLETED AND AIRCRAFT SPEED IS REDUCED BELOW 10 KTS.
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: 3,351 hours in all; 1,873 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 296 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 22
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE33111U061G (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Midstate Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: AI Mke at 7:57 pm
- Destination: AI Ord
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 7,400 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
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.