Newark International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Newark, New Jersey 07114
Monday, March 22, 1993 23:26 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE, FLIGHT 943, HAD BEEN VECTORED FOR LANDING, AND TO EXPECT A RWY 4R ILS, WITH A SIDESTEP MANEUVER TO LAND RWY 4L. ATIS HAD REPORTED RWY 4R CLOSED. WHILE BEING VECTORED, ATIS WAS AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE OPENING OF RWY 4R FOR LANDINGS. TRACON WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE CHANGE; THEREFORE THE FLIGHT WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE CHANGE. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER B-727, FEDERAL EXPRESS FLT 314, WAS CLEARED INTO POSITION ON RWY 4L AND TO HOLD FOR TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. RWY 4L HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF APPROX 740 FT. FLIGHT 943 WAS SWITCHED TO THE TOWER AND GIVEN LANDING CLEARANCE FOR RWY 4R. THE CREW DID NOT HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 'RIGHT,' AND THEY LINED UP AND LANDED ON RWY 4L. THE TOWER DID NOT REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LANDING CLEARANCE FROM FLIGHT 943. THE CREW OF FLIGHT 943 DID NOT SEE FLIGHT 314 ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD UNTIL THEY WERE JUST ABOUT OVER THE AIRPLANE. THE ONLY LIGHTS ON FLIGHT 314 WHILE HOLDING WERE THE NAVIGATION LIGHTS, ROTATING BEACON AND TAXI LIGHT. LOCAL CONTOLLER ALSO PERFORMING GROUND CONTROLLER DUTIES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S MISUNDERSTANDING OF LANDING RUNWAY, AND THE FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE FLIGHT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: THE FAILURE OF TOWER PERSONNEL TO NOTIFY TRACON OF THE ATIS CHANGE, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER PERFORMING GROUND CONTROLLER DUTIES, AND THE PILOT'S EXPECTATION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 4L AS A RESULT OF THE ATIS.

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/22/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2326
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City NEWARK
Event State NEW JERSEY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 07114
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 3
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 Full
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 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5018
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 23 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 51206
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N107FE
NTSB Number NYC93IA065
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 727-100
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-100
Aircraft Serial Number 19202
Certified Max Gross Weight 153000
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 5
Number of Engines 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FEDERAL EXPRESS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3101 TCHULAHOMA QA.
Aircraft Owner City MEMPHIS
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 38118
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FEDERAL EXPRESS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code FM
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 Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BOS
Departure City BOSTON
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2215
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 4L
Runway Length 8200
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --