Dornier DO-228 incident near Chicago, Illinois, July 9, 1989
On July 9, 1989 at about 5:47 pm local time, a Dornier DO-228, registered N265MC, was involved 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; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR LOOKOUT BY THE CREW OF THE DORNIER AND THE CITABRIA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1989 · about 5:47 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dornier DO-228
- Registration
- N265MC · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The factual record 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
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 7,700 lb
- Seats: 20
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-5 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RFD Rockford IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from DPA, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.