Amateur-built SHD-6 incident near Chicago, Illinois, March 7, 1993
On March 7, 1993 at about 1:02 pm local time, a amateur-built SHD-6, registered N364MQ, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE APPROACH AND LOCAL CONTROLLERS TO MAINTAIN IFR SEPARATION STANDARDS BETWEEN ALL THE AIRPLANES ON THE APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1993 · about 1:02 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare International
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SHD-6
- Registration
- N364MQ · no longer on the register · serial SA3619
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
LOSSES OF SEPARATION OCCURRED BETWEEN 8 OF 9 AIRPLANES ON THE ILS APPROACH, AND OCCURRED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE OUTER MARKER. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS AWARE THAT THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE AIRPLANES WAS 'TIGHT' WHEN HANDED OFF TO HIM BY TRACON. HE ATTEMPTED REMEDIAL ACTION BY NOTIFYING HIS SUPERVISOR AND ISSUING MISSED APPROACHES TO TWO OF THE AIRPLANES.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 12,300 lb
- Seats: 20
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMI Bloomington IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27R
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.