Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 20 December 1972
Aircraft Type: Convair CV-880-22-2
Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines
Registration Number: N8807E
Location: Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, IL (ORD) –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Taxi
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 88
Component Affected: The air traffic control system.The air traffic control system.
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A Delta Air Lines Convair CV-880 (N8807E) and a North Central DC-9 (N954N) collided during a taxying operation in bad weather. The collision resulted from a failure of the air traffic control system to adequately separate the aircraft, leading to ambiguous communications and a lack of sufficient information for the flight crew.A Delta Air Lines Convair CV-880 (N8807E) and a North Central DC-9 (N954N) collided during a taxying operation in bad weather. The collision resulted from a failure of the air traffic control system to adequately separate the aircraft, leading to ambiguous communications and a lack of sufficient information for the flight crew.
Description
A Delta Air Lines Convair CV-880 (N8807E) taxied across runway 27L in bad weather (250 feet visibility in fog, indefinite ceiling at 200 feet). At the same time, a North Central DC-9 (N954N) took off from runway 27L. Both aircraft collided. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The failure of the air traffic control system to ensure separation of aircraft during a period of restricted visibility. This failure included the following: (1) the controller omitted a critical word which made his transmission to the flight crew of the Delta CV-880 ambiguous; (2) the controller did not use all the available information to determine the location of the CV-880; and (3) the CV-880 flight crew did not request clarification of the controller’s communications”
Primary Cause
The failure of the air traffic control system to ensure separation of aircraft during a period of restricted visibility.The failure of the air traffic control system to ensure separation of aircraft during a period of restricted visibility.Share on:
