Boeing 747-300 HL746

Summary

On 23 August 1992 at about 17:33 local time, a Boeing 747-300 registered HL746, operated by Korean Airlines, was involved in an accident near Chicago, Illinois, United States. 279 people were on board. One person on the ground also died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 1992 at 17:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Chicago O'hare Intl (ORD)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 747-300

Registration

HL746

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Korean Airlines

Operating rule

Part 129: Foreign

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI92LA250

Injuries not recorded.

AN UNSAFE/HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BY THE VEHICLE DRIVER, AND AN INADEQUATE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AIRPLANE AND VEHICLE AS THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE BEHIND THE AIRPLANE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE, A FOUR ENGINED HEAVY JET, WAS DIRECTED TO TAXI TO AN ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE TAXI ROUTE WOULD EVENTUALLY CROSS AN ACTIVE RUNWAY. GROUND CONTROL DIRECTED THE AIRPLANE NOT TO CROSS THAT RUNWAY. THIS COMMAND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE AIRCREW. THE AIRPLANE STOPPED AND HELD ITS SOUTHERLY ORIENTED POSITION ON THE NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED TAXIWAY WHICH INTERSECTED THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS STOPPED, A MAINTENANCE UTILITY TRUCK OPERATED BY ANOTHER AIRLINE CAME TO A STOP ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE SERVICE ROAD WHICH CROSSED PERPENDICULAR TO THE TAXIWAY THE AIRPLANE WAS POSITIONED ON. GROUND CONTROL DIRECTED THE AIRPLANE TO CONTINUE TAXIING. AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO POWERUP, THE SERVICE TRUCK DROVE BEHIND IT. THE TRUCK WAS STRUCK BY THE AIRPLANE'S JETBLAST AND ROLLED OVER TWO OR THREE TIMES. A REVIEW OF THE AIRPORT'S MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATING REGULATIONS HANDBOOK AND THE AIRLINE'S DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM REVEALED THE DANGERS OF JETBLAST TO MOTOR VEHICLES WERE NOT COVERED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.