Boeing 787 incident near Chicago, Illinois, October 19, 2023
On October 19, 2023 at about 4:55 am local time, a 2014 Boeing 787, registered N30913, suffered minor damage in an incident during taxi (from runway) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare Intl airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s misperception of the distance required to safely pass the hangar and failure to request additional ground handling support while taxiing, which resulted in a collision with a hangar. Contributing to the accident was United Airlines Maintenance Ramp personnel’s ambiguous taxi instructions and lack of obstruction clearance guidance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2023 · about 4:55 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 787 8, built 2014 · all 787s on the register
- Registration
- N30913 · registry record · serial 35879
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
United Airlines (UAL) flight 3885, a Boeing 787, impacted a hangar with its right-wing tip while taxiing to parking at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD), Chicago, Illinois. The flight was a maintenance ferry flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 from Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR), Newark, New Jersey. According to the flight crew, after landing on runway 10C at ORD they were cleared to taxi to a UAL maintenance facility via taxiways P to Z. After receiving an air traffic control (ATC) clearance, they crossed runway 10L, continued via taxiway Z crossing both runways 9R and 9C before making a right turn onto taxiway D. Ground control cleared them to enter the ramp at taxiway YY1 and to contact UAL’s Maintenance Ramp frequency. UAL maintenance subsequently instructed them to make a left on YY, which was incorrect, and proceed to the north side of the ramp, where a truck with marshallers would be waiting to guide them to parking. After completing the left turn on YY, the flight crew realized they were about to enter an American Eagle ramp area instead of their intended destination of the UAL ramp area. Unfamiliar with the area they stopped the airplane and queried UAL maintenance as to where they should park. UAL maintenance asked the flight crew to proceed onto the American Eagle ramp and make a 180° turn. The captain noted no wingspan restrictions on the airport charts and no obstacles other than hangars in the area. He stated that there were no taxiway lights; however, there was adequate overhead lighting on the ramp. The captain then asked the first officer (FO) if they were clear to the right, to which the FO responded “yes”. Shortly thereafter, while proceeding onto the ramp and on the associated taxiway line they heard a loud bang and the airplane veered to the right. The FO looked out his window and stated, “we hit the hangar”. UAL Maintenance Ramp Area Figure 1 - Google Earth image with taxi route in red. The inset photo of accident site was provided by United Airlines. Green arrow indicates the location of United Airlines maintenance ramp area. The right-wing tip of the airplane struck a hanger resulting in minor damage to the wing. The damage to the hanger was estimated at about $236,000. A B787 has a wingspan of 197 feet 3 inches. The distance from the taxiway centerline to the hangar was about 98 ft accommodating a wingspan of about 196 ft. Had the marshallers met the airplane at American Eagle ramp and provided obstruction clearance guidance and/or the flight crew requested additional ground handling support before attempting to turn around in an unfamiliar area it is likely that the collision would not have occurred.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Perception › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Accuracy of communication › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,480 hours in all; 3,673 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 3,673 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,552 hours in all; 980 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 5, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,459 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 11, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 396,900 lb
- Seats: 260
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 3: General Electric GEnx-1B (turbofan); 28,275 hours total
- Engine 4: General Electric GEnx-1B (turbofan); 32,542 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: Newark NJ at 2:52 am
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from KORD, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KORD 190451Z 19012G18KT 10SM -RA FEW055 SCT075 OVC090 15/11 A2981
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 12, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Crew Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N30913 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.