Beech C90A accident near Chicago, Illinois, November 7, 1997
On November 7, 1997 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Beech C90A, registered N200HV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the driver of the vehicle failed to yield the right-of-way to an airplane taxiing in a designated airport taxiway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1997 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90A · all C90As on the register
- Registration
- N200HV · no longer on the register · serial LJ-1262
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's taxi instructions were to taxi from the Signature ramp down Delta taxiway to D1, turn north on Bravo taxiway, cross the Bravo bridge to runway 32R. While the airplane was taxiing through the D-3 intersection, a United Airlines lavatory truck impacted the right engine and right propeller pushing the airplane approximately 10 feet off of the taxiway centerline. The O'Hare Law Enforcement department issued a violation to the driver of the truck for failing to give-way to an aircraft. The United Airlines lavatory truck, number LT411, had undergone a 'B' maintenance check on September 12, 1997. The United Airlines O'Hare Operating Procedures for motor vehicles stated in the section for Yielding the Right-of-Way, 'No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless he yields the right-of-way to aircraft in motion. TAXIING AIRCRAFT ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. The O'Hare Ground Vehicle Operating Regulations state, 'No Person operating a Ground Vehicle shall cross taxiways without bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and observing ground airplane traffic in all directions. TAXIING AIRCRAFT ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.'
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,286 hours in all; 640 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 4,039 as pilot in command; 815 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,878 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 25, 1997; 1,691 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD
- Destination: DSM Des Moines IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.