Glen
You are correct. taking off on 31 at MDW,.... ORD is a option .... if you can make it that far.
I flew out of MDW for several years in single engine flight instructing, then light twins, mostly cargo.
There aren't really very many options out of MDW, especially at night.
My heart aches for the pilot who lost his life in this crash and his family. and friends.
I was flying Commander 500's, 690's; Cessna 3&4 hundred series; and Piper Navaho aircraft out of MDW back then.
I'm not sure if a AC500 could do anything but fly straight ahead on one engine till it reached it's impact site.