Incident Overview
During operations at Chicago-O'Hare Airport, a collision occurred involving two commercial aircraft. A Delta Air Lines flight, identified as DL954 operating a Convair CV-880, had landed without incident and was in the process of taxiing to its gate. The crew had received clearance to cross runway 27L when the accident took place.
Collision Dynamics
Simultaneously, a North Central Airlines Douglas DC-9-31, registered as N954N, was preparing for departure. The aircraft was en route to Duluth via Madison and carried 41 passengers along with a crew of four. The pilot had just received clearance to take off from runway 27L. As the DC-9 initiated its takeoff roll, one of its wings struck the tail section of the Convair.
Immediate Consequences
The impact caused the Convair to stop immediately. The DC-9 lost control, veered off the runway, and came to rest in flames. The post-crash fire destroyed the DC-9 completely. The Convair sustained damage that rendered it beyond repair.
Casualties and Injuries
There were 93 occupants on board the Convair, of whom 10 were injured. The DC-9 carried 45 occupants; this incident resulted in 10 fatalities and 35 injuries, with some passengers suffering serious harm.