Cessna 550 incident near West Chicago, Illinois, May 10, 1993
On May 10, 1993 at about 3:11 pm local time, a Cessna 550, registered N41SM, was involved in an incident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE CONTROL TOWER SERVICE BY THE LOCAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER BY PROVIDING CONFLICTING CLEARANCES TO THE PILOTS OF TWO AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1993 · about 3:11 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage County · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N41SM · registry record · serial 231
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED A PIPER PA-28, N9291W, FOR TOUCH-AND-GO ON RUNWAY 15, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CLEARED A CESSNA 500 CORPORATE JET FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 10. THE TWO RUNWAYS WERE SITUATED SO THAT THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 10 CROSSED THE END OF RUNWAY 15. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE TWO AIRPLANES PASSED WITHIN 100 TO 300 FEET OF EACH OTHER. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA REPORTED HE VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE PIPER AS BOTH AIRPLANES WERE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TAKEOFF ROLLS. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER WAS COMMUNICATING WITH THREE AIRPLANES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HE REPORTED HE BECAME DISTRACTED BY INBOUND TRAFFIC AND NEGLECTED TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE DEPARTING TRAFFIC. HE SAID HE SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A FULL STOP LANDING CLEARANCE TO THE PIPER INSTEAD OF THE TOUCH-AND-GO CLEARANCE.
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: 6,100 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 13,300 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Meisner Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DPA at 3:11 pm
- Destination: AVL Asheville NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 4,750 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.