Chicago O'hare Intl — Safety History & Runway Risks
NTSB accident analysis for KORD: 36 events analyzed
Chicago, IL · 680 ft MSL · 9 runways
Based on 36 NTSB events at KORD (Chicago O'hare Intl), the most important risks for pilots are:
- Ground collision with vehicles and ground support equipment. At least 8 events involve aircraft being struck by tugs, trucks, or ground vehicles during taxi or while parked. Most recently, a February 2025 nighttime tug collision with a CRJ-900 was attributed to ambient lighting and missing nose-gear light reducing the tug driver's detection ability—conditions that apply equally or more severely to smaller GA aircraft.
- Wingtip/tail strikes during taxi due to congestion and proximity to large aircraft. Multiple events document aircraft-to-aircraft contact during taxi, including a 2017 A321 sharklet striking a CRJ200 horizontal stabilizer on taxiway A7, a 2012 B747 striking an EMB-135 on the ramp, and a 2010 B747 striking a CRJ-700 at the gate area. The sheer size disparity between GA aircraft and widebodies at this airport makes wake and wingtip awareness critical.
- Runway confusion and wrong runway landings in a complex multi-runway environment. A September 2024 incident saw an Embraer 170 crew land on runway 10L when cleared for 10C, attributed to continuation bias and incorrect ILS frequency. With up to eight active runways on nearly parallel headings (09/27 family and 10/28 family all pointing 090/270), runway identification is a genuine hazard for any flight crew, including GA.
Source: NTSB accident records analyzed by Tropiq. Updated 4/14/2026.
Safety History
36 eventsChicago O'Hare (KORD) has recorded 36 NTSB events from 2008–2025, with the dominant themes being ground collisions during taxi/pushback and ATC separation failures—not runway excursions or in-flight mechanical issues. As a major hub with extreme traffic density, the greatest risk to a GA pilot operating here is the complex, congested ground environment where ground vehicles, pushback tugs, and large jets routinely conflict with smaller aircraft. Weather-related events are relatively rare but notable, with winter contaminated runways and summer wind gusts presenting elevated risk for light aircraft.
Across 17 years, KORD's safety record is dominated by ground operations events and ATC complexity, with zero fatal accidents in the dataset. No single year has produced more than 4–5 events, indicating the airport's safety systems prevent most incidents from escalating.
- •Ground collisions (aircraft-to-aircraft and vehicle-to-aircraft) are the single most frequent event category, appearing in at least 14 of 36 events
- •ATC separation failures created three documented near-midair collision events, all prior to 2012, suggesting possible procedural improvements since then
- •Light aircraft (Cessna 208, Tecnam P2012) are disproportionately vulnerable to jet blast and wind gusts given the heavy jet traffic mix
- •Winter weather (contaminated runways, low visibility) contributed to at least 2 significant events (Nov 2019, Feb 2015)
- •Summer months (June–August) produced the most events across the historical dataset, correlating with convective weather activity and high traffic volume
- •Mechanical issues (landing gear failures, brake failures) appear in approximately 4 events but are generally well-contained with no hull losses in the dataset
- •Night operations appear in roughly 10 of 36 events, slightly overrepresented relative to typical night traffic volume, consistent with reduced visual cues on a complex ground environment
Runway Analysis
Key Risks
Common Causes
Seasonal Patterns
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database. Analysis generated 2026-04-14. This data is provided for flight planning awareness and does not replace official safety briefings.
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