Amateur-built DH-125 incident near Chicago, Illinois, April 17, 1985
On April 17, 1985 at about 7:19 pm local time, a amateur-built DH-125, registered N711WJ, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chicago, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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
- April 17, 1985 · about 7:19 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DH-125
- Registration
- N711WJ · registry record · serial 25021
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON APRIL 17,1985 AT 1319CST, AT CHICAGO O'HARE INTERNATIONALAIRPORT, A DE HAVILLAND DH-125,N711WJ, REGISTERED TO RYNES AVIATION,INC., AND FLOWN BY ATR RONALD F. RYNES, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A MOVABLE PASSENGER LOADING STAIRS AFTER EXPERIENCING A TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WHICH RENDERED THE BRAKES INOPERATIVE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FILED ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BOCA RATON AIRPOR, FLORIDA AT ABOUT 1130 EST ON APRIL 17,1985. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREPARING FOR DESCENT INTO CHICAGO FOR A LANDING AT MEIGS FIELD WHEN THE CREW BECAME AWARE OF A TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE IN THE NORMAL SYSTEM. THEY MADE A DECISION TO LAND AT O'HARE AIRPORT DUE TO THE BETTER RUNWAYS AND AVAILABILITY OF GREATER CRASH FIRE RESCUE CAPABILITY.
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: 8,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,710 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 23,100 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Bristsidviper 522 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: CGX Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 24,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.