Piper PA-28-181 incident near Chicago, Illinois, October 22, 1992
On October 22, 1992 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8068J, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 FAILURE OF THE MIDWAY ARSA CONTROLLER TO COORDINATE USE OF THE AIRSPACE WITH THE CHICAGO NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER WHICH RESULTED IN AN OPERATIONAL DEVIATION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW HIS ASSIGNED HEADING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1992 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8068J · registry record · serial 28-8290084
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTING MEIGS AIRPORT, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE TOWER AT MIDWAY AIRPORT FOR A VECTOR THROUGH ITS AIRPORT RADAR SERVICE AREA (ARSA). THE ARSA CONTROLLER ASSIGNED A HEADING TO PROCEED THROUGH THE ARSA, CLEAR OF THE ADJACENT CHICAGO TERMINAL CONTROL AREA (TCA). THE AIRPLANE TRACKED 25 DEG RIGHT OF THE ASSIGNED HEADING, UNNOTICED, FOR 5 MINUTES, AND ENTERED THE TCA, WHERE A LOCAL CONTROLLER OBSERVED IT AS TRAFFIC OPPOSING DEPARTURES UNDER HIS CONTROL. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER MAINTAINED TRAFFIC SEPARATION UNTIL THE ARSA CONTROLLER STEERED THE VFR PILOT OUT OF THE TCA.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 210 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,747 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 31, 1992; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FOD Ft. Dodge IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from ORD, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N8068J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.