Event MIA88IA167

Factual narrative

MIDWAY FLT 172 (MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-9, N1065T) WAS ON AN IFR DEPARTURE FROM CHICAGO MIDWAY ARPT AT THE SAME TIME THAT BEECH 200, N981LL, WAS ON AN IFR ARRIVAL FOR A VISUAL APCH TO MERRILL C MEIGS ARPT, ALTHOUGH BOTH WERE IN VMC. PREVIOUSLY, O'HARE TRACON HAD RESTRICTED EASTERLY DEPARTURES FROM MIDWAY TO NOT LESS THAN 20 MI IN-TRAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HANDOFF CONTROLLER (CTLR) AT TRACON INSTRUCTED THE CTLRS AT MIDWAY TOWER TO 'CANCEL THE RESTRICTION,' MEANING TO CANCEL THE IN-TRAIL RESTRICTION. HOWEVER, THE CTLRS AT MIDWAY THOUGHT THIS WAS IN REFERENCE TO A CLIMB RESTRICTION ON THE CANAL THREE SID WHICH FLT 172 WAS USING. SUBSEQUENTLY, FLT 172 & N981LL CONVERGED AS FLT 172 WAS CLIMBING TO 3000 FT & N981LL WAS DSCNDG TO 2000 FT. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT PASSED EACH OTHER WITH LESS THAN THE REQUIRED VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL SEPN. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12