Douglas DC-10 N123AA

Summary

On 11 February 1988 at about 04:48 local time, a Douglas DC-10 registered N123AA, operated by American Airlines, was involved in an incident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 206 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 February 1988 at 04:48

Classification

Incident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Chicago O'hare (ORD)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Douglas DC-10

Registration

N123AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

3

Operator

American Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI88IA061

Nobody was injured.

JUDGEMENTAL ERROR ON THE PART OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER FOR CLEARING VEHICLES ACROSS THE ACTIVE RUNWAY TIWH INSUFFICIENT SEPARATION FROM ARRIVING AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS FURTHER COMPROMISED BY A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE EQUIPMENT CROSSING THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT 2245:29 CST, A DC-10 FLT CREW RPRTD AT THE FINAL APCH FIX ON AN ILS RWY 9R APCH. THE FINAL APCH FIX WAS 4.7 MI FROM THE RWY. THE DC-10 WAS CLEARED TO LAND, THEN MOMENTS LATER, A SNOW REMOVAL TEAM (WORKING ON RWY 32L) REQUESTED THAT FOUR VEHICLES BE CLEARED TO CROSS RWY 9R. THE TOWER CONTROLLER PROVIDED CLEARANCE FOR THE VEHICLES TO CROSS THE ACTIVE RWY. AT 2247:28, THE LEAD MAN OF THE GROUP OF VEHICLES REPORTED THAT THEY WERE CLEAR OF THE RWY. HOWEVER, WHEN THE FOURTH VEHICLE WAS ABOUT HALF WAY ACROSS THE RWY, ITS MANUAL TRANSMISSION JUMPED OUT OF GEAR & THE DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY REENGAGING IT. AT 2248:00, THE LEAD MAN OF THE VEHICLES NOTIFIED THE TOWER OF THE PROBLEM, BUT BY THEN, THE DC-10 WAS LANDING. AFTER THE DC-10 HAD TOUCHED DOWN & THE SPOILERS WERE DEPLOYED (BEFORE THE NOSEWHEEL WAS LOWERED),THE FLT CREW SAW THE VEHICLE AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY & THE CAPTAIN TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. HE STEARED THE ACFT AROUND THE VEHICLE, THEN CONTINUED THE LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.