Boeing 747-227B and British Aerospace BAE 146-200 incident near Chicago, Illinois, February 19, 1988
On February 19, 1988 at about 6:07 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 747-227B (N635US) and British Aerospace BAE 146-200 (N602AW), were involved in the same incident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago-O'Hare Intl airport). No one was hurt; 297 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE TOWER CAB SUPERVISOR TO ASSURE THAT COORDINATION BETWEEN THE SOUTH LOCAL CONTROLLER AND NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER HAD BEEN COMPLETED. A FACTOR IS THE FAILURE OF FAA TOWER MANAGEMENT TO INSURE THERE WERE PERSONNEL MANNING THE CAB COORDINATOR POSITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1988 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago-O'Hare Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 297 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 747-227B · all 747-227Bs on the register
- Registration
- N635US · no longer on the register · serial 21682
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- British Aerospace BAE 146-200 BAE 146-20 · all BAE 146-200s on the register
- Registration
- N602AW · registry record · serial E2014
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 747-227B final · quoted from the NTSB record
NORTHWEST FLT 3 (BOEING 747, N635US) WAS CLRD TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 14R AT THE SAME TIME AIR WISCONSIN FLT 925 (BAE 146, N602AW) WAS CLRD TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 22L AT THE CHICAGO-O'HARE INTL ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TWO ACFT PASSED WITH AN ESTIMATED 3000 TO 4000 FT SEPARATION. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE TOWER SUPERVISOR HAD NOT ASSURED COORDINATION BETWEEN THE NORTH & SOUTH LOCAL CONTROL POSITIONS. AT THE TIME OF THE OPERATIONAL ERROR, THE TOWER SUPERVISOR WAS ACTING AS BOTH THE SUPERVISOR & THE TOWER CAB COORDINATOR.
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 British Aerospace BAE 146-200 final · quoted from the NTSB record
NORTHWEST FLT 3 (BOEING 747, N635US) WAS CLRD TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 14R AT THE SAME TIME AIR WISCONSIN FLT 925 (BAE 146, N602AW) WAS CLRD TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 22L AT THE CHICAGO-O'HARE INTL ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TWO ACFT PASSED WITH AN ESTIMATED 3000 TO 4000 FT SEPARATION. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE TOWER SUPERVISOR HAD NOT ASSURED COORDINATION BETWEEN THE NORTH & SOUTH LOCAL CONTROL POSITIONS. AT THE TIME OF THE OPERATIONAL ERROR, THE TOWER SUPERVISOR WAS ACTING AS BOTH THE SUPERVISOR & THE TOWER CAB COORDINATOR.
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 Boeing 747-227B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 833,000 lb
- Seats: 495
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Tokyo, Japan
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14R, 13,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:01 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 16 | |||
| Passengers | 200 |
The factual record for the British Aerospace BAE 146-200 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: 9,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 95,000 lb
- Seats: 109
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming ALF-502R (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ATW Appleton WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22L, 8,071 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 77 |
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.