Cessna 402B incident near Chicago, Illinois, September 25, 1999
On September 25, 1999 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N6362X, suffered minor damage in an incident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Midway airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1999 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago Midway · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6362X · no longer on the register · serial 402B1325
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck airport lighting during an aborted takeoff. The pilot said, "I followed the taxi line until I found a white line and lined up on it. I applied partial power, ...when I noticed what I thought was a box on the runway (all I could discern was a black cube)." He said, "...I heard a WHUMP, but felt no yaw or any adverse affect on the airplane." He "...heard what seemed like a buzz." He aborted the takeoff, taxied to the parking ramp, and found propeller damage. A runway inspection revealed a damaged directional sign and runway light on runway 31C's northeast shoulder prior to the runway's displaced threshold. An investigation revealed that near the foxtrot taxiway on runway 31C two taxiway centerline markings branched out from and were located north of the taxiway's lead-in line for runway 31C's centerline. These two taxiway centerline markings were located on the runway's approach side of the displaced threshold bar for runway 31C and these taxiway centerline markings did cross the solid white northeast runway side stripe for runway 31C. Runway 31C's shoulder, at the incident site, was found without shoulder markings. Advisory Circular 150/5340-1H states, "Runway shoulder markings are used ... where pilots have experienced problems identifying the runway from the shoulder thereby creating a need to delineate the shoulder as unusable pavement."
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,900 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 4,800 as pilot in command; 2,965 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 28, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sparta Aviation Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: MDW IL
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Runway 31C, 6,522 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from MDW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.