Boeing 737-300 accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, June 8, 1997
On June 8, 1997 at about 2:17 pm local time, a Boeing 737-300, registered N321UA, was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 79 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a delay by the pilot of the other aircraft in turning on his mode C transponder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 1997 · about 2:17 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 79 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300 · all 737-300s on the register
- Registration
- N321UA · registry record · serial 23953
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on initial descent into O'Hare International Airport, the flight crew of United 1517 received a Traffic Advisory (T/A) followed by a Resolution Advisory (R/A) from the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). The flight crew reported their altitude as being about 11,500' when the T/A was received. The first radar hit on the target airplane was at 11,200'. The Captain executed an abrupt pull-up in order to avoid colliding with the other airplane. Two flight attendants were injured during the evasive maneuver. The pilot of the other airplane reported that when passing through 10,000' he noticed his Mode C transponder was not selected; at that time, he changed the selector position. Investigation of the event revealed the closest separation between the two airplanes was .1nm horizontally and 50' vertically.
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,435 hours in all; 961 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 130,000 lb
- Seats: 133
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM56-3C1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Passengers | 76 |
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.