Atr ATR 72 incident near Chicago, Illinois, March 8, 1993
On March 8, 1993 at about 7:37 pm local time, a Atr ATR 72, registered N248AT, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 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 local controller's failure to issue a proper heading clearance which resulted in a loss of radar separation between two departing airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 1993 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Atr ATR 72
- Registration
- N248AT · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED SIMMONS FLIGHT 4298 FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 32L T-1 WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY THE RUNWAY HEADING AFTER TAKEOFF. SHE THEN CLEARED AMERICAN 1106 FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 32L WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN TO A 010 DEGREE HEADING. SIMMONS FLIGHT 4298 WAS THEN CLEARED TO A HEADING OF 360 DEGREES. THIS TURN VIOLATED THE MINIMUM DIVERGENCE HEADING SEPARATION STANDARDS OF 15 DEGREES FOR AIRPLANES TAKING OFF ON THE SAME RUNWAY AS SET FORTH IN ATC HANDBOOK 7110-65G.
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: 9,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 40,000 lb
- Seats: 76
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W 124 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD at 7:35 pm
- Destination: MKE Milwaukee WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:37 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.