Atr 72-212 incident near Chicago, Illinois, July 10, 1995
On July 10, 1995 at about 2:09 am local time, a Atr 72-212, registered N440AM, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 64 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight attendant's failure to follow procedures which resulted in her inadvertently opening the main cabin door in flight. Factors associated with the incident were: the flight attendant's fatigue due to lack of sleep and a long duty day, interference with habit regarding the direction of motion of the door locking handle, and inadequate design of the door locking handle by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1995 · about 2:09 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare Int'L
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 64 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Atr 72-212
- Registration
- N440AM · registry record · serial 440
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE MAIN PASSENGER CABIN DOOR OPENED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, AND THE DOOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE WHILE IT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH. ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE LACK OF DAMAGE INDICATES THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED/UNLATCHED WHEN IT OPENED. THE AIRPLANE HAD A NEWLY DESIGNED HANDRAIL/DOOR HANDLE INSTALLED WHICH REVERSED THE DIRECTION OF MOTION TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOOR. FOURTEEN AIRPLANES IN THE FLEET INCORPORATED THIS DESIGN. THE NEWLY HIRED #1 FLIGHT ATTENDANT HAD OPERATED THIS HANDLE ON 16 OF HER 60 FLIGHTS SINCE BEING HIRED. SHE HAD BEEN ON DUTY ABOUT 14.5 HOURS ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT WITH ONLY 5 HOURS OF SLEEP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT DUE TO HER FLIGHT SCHEDULE. SHE STATED THERE WAS A VERY LOUD 'HUMMING NOISE' COMING FROM THE DOOR PRIOR TO IT OPENING.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 217 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 644 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 6, 1995; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 47,465 lb
- Seats: 69
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW127 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Simmons Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ORD at 2:08 am
- Destination: SBN South Bend IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 3 | ||
| Passengers | 61 |
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.