Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Newark International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Newark, New Jersey 07109
Thursday, February 11, 1993 20:21 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE CREW OF N79771 WAS CLEARED TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 4L ON THE OUTER TAXIWAY. WHILE TAXIING, THE CAPTAIN BECAME DISORIENTED AND THOUGHT HE WAS ON THE INNER TAXIWAY. HE TOLD THE FIRST OFFICER ABOUT HIS CONCERNS. THE FIRST OFFICER'S ATTENTION HAD BEEN DEVOTED TO COCKPIT DUTIES, BUT HE ALSO THOUGHT THEY WERE TAXIING ON THE INNER. THE AIRPLANE WAS ACTUALLY ON THE OUTER. THE CAPTAIN DECIDED TO TURN LEFT AT TAXIWAY 'G' TO RETURN TO THE OUTER. WHEN THE TURN WAS MADE AT 'G,' THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A SHORT TAXIWAY LEADING TO RUNWAY 4L. A B-737 WAS ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 4L, AND THE PILOT OF THAT AIRPLANE SAID HE OBSERVED N79771 ON THE RUNWAY. SEVERAL TOWER CONTROLLERS STATED THAT N79771 WAS ON RUNWAY 4L AMD MADE A TURN OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT OF N79771 SAID HE SAW THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS, AND THAT HE WAS ABLE TO TURN THE AIRPLANE BEFORE ENTERING THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. N79771 WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A NOSE WHEEL TAXI LIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO DETERMINE HIS POSITION. THE CREW OF N79771 MADE NO RADIO CALLS TO GROUND CONTROL ABOUT THEIR CONFUSION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DISORIENTATION WHILE TAXIING, RESULTING IN A RUNWAY INCURSION. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WERE: THE FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT CREW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ATC GROUND CONTROLLER TO VERIFY THEIR POSITION; THE INADEQUATE CREW COORDINATION; AND THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 2/11/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2021 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NEWARK |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07109 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NEWARK INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EWR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 18 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 67 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5016 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 12 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 52811 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N79771 |
| NTSB Number | NYC93IA064 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 727-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 727-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 173000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 3 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED STATES TRUST CO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 114 WEST 47TH ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW YORK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10036 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 15333 JFK BLVD |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 77032 |
| Operator Code | COLA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EWR |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2010 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BUF |
| Destination City | BUFFALO |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 4 |
| Runway Length | 8200 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |