Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 and Boeing 727-223 incident near Chicago, Illinois, May 17, 1986
On May 17, 1986 at about 2:59 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 (N973VJ) and Boeing 727-223 (N6833), were involved in the same incident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare airport). No one was hurt; 224 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
- May 17, 1986 · about 2:59 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 224 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N973VJ · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 727-223 · all 727-223s on the register
- Registration
- N6833 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 final · quoted from the NTSB record
U.S. AIR FLIGHT 373 PASSED OVER AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 695AT THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 32R AND 4L WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE TAKING OFF. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY THE LOCAL CONTROLLER AT O'HARE TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME WITHIN TWENTY FEET OF EACH OTHER DURING THE OCCURRENCE. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS INVOLVED IN GIVING ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER AVOIDANCE (SWAP) CLEARANCES WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY FORGOT HE HAD CLEARED THE U.S. AIR FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF AND THEN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER CLEARED THE AMERICAN FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727-223 final · quoted from the NTSB record
U.S. AIR FLIGHT 373 PASSED OVER AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 695 AT THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 32R AND 4L WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE TAKING OFF. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF BY THE LOCAL CONTROLLER AT O'HARE TOWER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME WITHIN TWENTY FEET OF EACH OTHER DURING THE OCCURRENCE. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS INVOLVED IN GIVING ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER AVOIDANCE (SWAP) CLEARANCES WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY FORGOT HE HAD CLEARED THE U.S. AIR FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF AND THEN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER CLEARED THE AMERICAN FLIGHT FOR TAKEOFF.
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 for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 104,000 lb
- Seats: 125
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL at 2:59 pm
- Destination: PIT Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4L, 7,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:59 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 110 |
The factual record for the Boeing 727-223 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OKC Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32R, 10,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 102 |
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.