Airbus Industrie 319 and Embraer 145EP incident near Chicago, Illinois, March 21, 2006
On March 21, 2006 at about 9:20 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Airbus Industrie 319 (DAPAC) and Embraer 145EP (N977RP), were involved in the same incident near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago O'Hare International A airport). No one was hurt; 78 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The probable cause of this incident is the local controller's failure to ensure proper separation between Lufthansa (DLH) flight 437 andChautauqua (CHQ) flight 7826. Contributing to the probable cause was the local controller's failure to monitor the situation and advise the local controller that DLH437 had not departed prior to the controller issuing the takeoff clearance to CHQ7826.
The probable cause of the incident was the local controller's failure to ensure proper separation between Lufthansa flight 437 and Chautauqua (CHQ) flight 7826. Contributing was the failure of the local monitor to monitor the situation and advise the local controller that Lufthansa had not departed when the local controller issued the takeoff clearance to CHQ7826.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2006 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago O'Hare International A · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 78 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Airbus Industrie 319
- Registration
- DAPAC · no longer on the register · serial DAPAC
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
- Aircraft 2
- Embraer 145EP
- Registration
- N977RP · no longer on the register · serial N977RP
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Airbus Industrie 319 final · quoted from the NTSB record
Certified professional controller (CPC) providing on-the-job training working North Local Control position for 24 minutes responsible for 8 aircraft. Plan X in effect (landing and departing runways 4 and 9). Developmental controller (DEV) is certified on all positions except local control (has 150 hours of the allotted 180.) Lufthansa (DLH) flight 437, A319, was instructed to taxi-into-position-and-hold on runway 4L to wait for the previous arrival to exit the runway. Chautauqua (CHQ) flight 7826, E145, was issued taxi-into-position-and-hold runway 9L and was advised traffic (DLH437) would be departing runway 4L. (It is approximately 1,900 feet from the Runway 9L threshold to the intersection of Runway 4L.) When the runway 9L traffic exited, DLH437 was cleared for takeoff. Thirty-five seconds later the DEV cleared CHQ7826 for takeoff on runway 9L. The Local Monitor and the CPC did not hear the DEV clear CHQ7826 for takeoff. Shortly thereafter, the Local Monitor noticed both aircraft were rolling and told the North Local Controller CPC who canceled takeoff instructions to both aircraft. Closest proximity 100 feet when both aircraft stopped at the runway intersection. AMASS did not have crossing runway logic installed and did not alarm. The pilot of DLH437 called the tower later and said they observed the E145 and was aborting takeoff when the controller told him to stop.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Embraer 145EP final · quoted from the NTSB record
Certified professional controller (CPC) providing on-the-job training working North Local Control position for 24 minutes responsible for 8 aircraft. Plan X in effect (landing and departing runways 4 and 9). Developmental controller (DEV) is certified on all positions except local control (has 150 hours of the allotted 180.) Lufthansa (DLH) flight 437, A319, was instructed to taxi-into-position-and-hold on runway 4L to wait for the previous arrival to exit the runway. Chautauqua (CHQ) flight 7826, E145, was issued taxi-into-position-and-hold runway 9L and was advised traffic (DLH437) would be departing runway 4L. (It is approximately 1,900 feet from the Runway 9L threshold to the intersection of Runway 4L.) When the runway 9L traffic exited, DLH437 was cleared for takeoff. Thirty-five seconds later the DEV cleared CHQ7826 for takeoff on runway 9L. The Local Monitor and the CPC did not hear the DEV clear CHQ7826 for takeoff. Shortly thereafter, the Local Monitor noticed both aircraft were rolling and told the North Local Controller CPC who canceled takeoff instructions to both aircraft. Closest proximity 100 feet when both aircraft stopped at the runway intersection. AMASS did not have crossing runway logic installed and did not alarm. The pilot of DLH437 called the tower later and said they observed the E145 and was aborting takeoff when the controller told him to stop.
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 for the Airbus Industrie 319 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: KORD Chicago IL
- Destination: EDDL Dusseldorf
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway rL, 7,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from ORD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 23 |
The factual record for the Embraer 145EP from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Chautauqua Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: KORD Chicago IL
- Destination: KSDF Louisville KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9L, 7,967 ft by 150 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 46 |
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.