NTSB Factual Report

On November 19, 1996, at 1703 CST, a United Express Beechcraft 1900c, Flight 5925 collided with a Beechcraft King Air A90, N1127D, at Quincy Municipal Airport, near Quincy, Illinois. The United Express flight was completing its landing roll on runway 13 and the King Air was departing on runway 4. Both pilots and 10 passengers on the 1900C and both pilots on the A90D were killed. Both aircraft were destroyed. The 1900C was on an IFR flight plan and operating under FAR part 135. The A90 had not filed a flight plan and was operating under FAR part 91. The complete narrative for this investigation is contained in PB97-910404, NTSB/AAR-97/04.

NTSB Probable Cause

the failure of the pilots in the King Air A90 to effectively monitor the common traffic advisory frequency or to properly scan for traffic, resulting in their commencing a takeoff roll when the Beech 1900C (United Express flight 5925) was landing on an intersecting runway. 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. Contributing to the severity of the accident and the loss of life were the lack of adequate aircraft rescue and firefighting services and the failure of the air stair door on the Beech 1900C to be opened. (NTSB Report AAR-97/04)