Douglas DC-10-30F incident near Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 1997
On June 10, 1997 at about 4:18 am local time, a Douglas DC-10-30F, registered N302FE, 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; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the lack of communications to assure safe operations between aircraft on a non-movement area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1997 · about 4:18 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-10-30F · all DC-10-30Fs on the register
- Registration
- N302FE · no longer on the register · serial 46801
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Federal Express (FEDEX) DC-10 landed on runway 14L, and was assigned to stay on the local control frequency. The FEDEX DC-10 taxied to the southwest cargo ramp. The FEDEX DC-10 turned onto taxiway Kilo 1 and held their position after they saw Japan Airlines (JAL) B-747 taxiing out of the ramp area to Kilo 2 taxiway. The FEDEX DC-10 crew realized that there was insufficient clearance between airplanes. The FEDEX crew called the JAL airplane about the impending collision on the local control's frequency. The FEDEX DC-10 Captain applied reverse thrust and moved approximately 15 to 20 feet back on taxiway Kilo 1. The JAL airplane moved to the right side of the centerline and continued to taxiway Kilo 2 on the outbound ground controller's frequency. Both aircraft were on a non-movement area.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,007 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 58,833 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 8, 1996; 2,167 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 580,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-50C2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 3:50 pm
- Destination: ORD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14L, 10,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 |
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 N302FE 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.