Jack wrote:
wrote:

There are oil and gasoline terminals in the area of Central Ave. &
I-55, so it could have been one large fire-ball.

I-55 is a LONG way from the departure end of 31C -- a little over a
mile. Remember, this was a landing accident, and they didn't even make
it across S. Central Ave.

But tanker trucks in the intersection were a possibility, 55th st. is a
good alternative
when I-55 is gridlocked.


That night at MDW was the place for a crew who had cut their aviation
teeth on Great Lakes winter ops. The name "SOUTH WEST" doesn't paint
that kind of a picture for me.

They serve SLC, DTW, BUF, RNO and many cities in the Northeast, so
snow is nothing new. And the crew was based in BWI, plenty of snow and
freezing rain.


The Chicago Tribune is reporting today that controllers and pilots
were concerned about the choice of runway 31C and the unavailability
of runway 13C, which would have been preferable given the wind.

Aren't 31C and 13C physically the same? Just landing into the southeast
on 13C
as opposed to landing on 31C, into the northwest and with a tail wind.

JG