United Express Flight 5925

Great Lakes Airlines Flight 5925

File:Quincy Regional Airport-Baldwin Field.png Overhead view of the Quincy airport.
Accident summary
Date	19 November 1996
Summary	Runway incursion and Pilot Error on the King Air
Site	Quincy Regional Airport, Gilmer Township, Adams County, Illinois, near Quincy, Illinois, United States
Total fatalities	14
Total survivors	0
First aircraft
Type	Beechcraft 1900C
Operator	Great Lakes Airlines for United Express
Registration	N87GL
Flight origin	Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Last stopover	Southeast Iowa Regional Airport
Destination	Quincy Regional Airport
Passengers	10
Crew	2
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
Type	Beechcraft 65-A90 King Air
Operator	private
Registration	N1127D
Passengers	0
Crew	2
Survivors	0

United Express Flight 5925, operated by Great Lakes Airlines with a Beechcraft 1900 twin turboprop, was a regularly scheduled flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Quincy, Illinois, with an intermediate stop in Burlington, Iowa.

On November 19, 1996, the aircraft collided on landing at Quincy with another Beechcraft, a private King Air, that was taking off from an intersecting runway. All occupants of both planes, twelve on board the 1900 and two on board the King Air, were killed as a result.

Synopsis

File:Great Lakes Flight 5925.png

Wreckage of Great Lakes 5925.

United Express Flight 5925 had departed from Chicago at 15:25 on November 19, 1996. After a stop at Burlington, Iowa, the flight proceeded to Quincy. Two aircraft at Quincy were ready for departure when Flight 5925 approached. Both a Beechcraft King Air and a Piper Cherokee were proceeding to Runway 04. As Quincy is a non-towered airport, all three aircraft were operating on the same Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. On approach, the United Express crew inquired as to whether the King Air would hold short of the runway, or depart before their arrival. After receiving no response, the United Express crew called again, and received a reply from the Cherokee that they were holding short. However, due to the ground proximity warning system sounding in the 1900s cockpit, only part of the transmission was received by the 1900. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the Cherokee pilot’s interrupted radio transmission, which led to the Beech 1900C pilot’s misunderstanding of the transmission as an indication from the King Air that it would not take off until after flight 5925 had cleared the runway.

Assuming that both planes were holding, Flight 5925 landed on Runway 13. The King Air, however, had taxied into position on Runway 4, and had begun its takeoff roll when Flight 5925 landed. Both aircraft collided at the intersection of runways 4 and 13. The aircraft skidded for 110 feet (34 m), coming to rest alongside Runway 13, and caught fire. Several pilots in the vicinity of the crash came to the scene, but were unable to open the doors of the aircraft before both planes were destroyed by fire. All 12 aboard the 1900 and both pilots of the King Air were killed in the accident.

Cause

File:Great lakes air flight 5925 diagram.png

Diagram of aircraft positions involved in the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was the King Air pilots' failure to effectively monitor both the common frequency and to scan for traffic. A contributing factor was the Cherokee's transmission at the same time as the United Express transmission. Lack of adequate rescue and firefighting equipment was a cited as a factor in the high fatality rate.

In popular culture

The crash was featured on Season 15 of Mayday (Air Crash Investigation) on 6 January 2016. The episode aired on the National Geographic Channel (Australia) titled "Fatal Transmission".

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
• NTSB Response to Petition for Reconsideration from Mr. Ed Voorhis