Hartsfield-Atlanta Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Atlanta, Georgia 30320
Thursday, January 18, 1990 19:04 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARR AT NGT, BEECH A100 (KING AIR, N44UE) WAS CLRD FOR AN ILS RWY 26R APCH BEHIND CONTINENTAL FLT 9687, THEN EASTERN AIRLINE (EA) FLT 111 (BOEING 727, N8867E) WAS CLRD FOR THE SAME APCH BEHIND THE KING AIR. AFTER LNDG, FLT 9687 HAD A RADIO PROBLEM & THE TWR CTLR HAD DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH FLT 9687. MEANWHILE, THE KING AIR LNDD & ITS CREW HAD MOVED THE ACFT TO THE RGT SIDE OF THE RWY NR TWY-D (THE PRIMARY TWY FOR GEN AVN ACFT). THE TURNOFF FOR TWY-D WAS ABT 3800'FM THE APCH END OF RWY 26R. BEFORE THE KING AIR WAS CLR OF THE RWY, EA 111 LNDD & CONVERGED ON THE KING AIR. THE CREW OF EA 111 DID NOT SEE THE KING AIR UNTIL MOMENTS BFR THE ACDNT. THE CAPT TRIED TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT THE BOEING'S RGT WING STRUCK THE KING AIR, SHEARING THE TOP OF ITS FUSELAGE & COCKPIT. SOME OF THE KING AIR'S STROBE/BEACON LGTS WERE INOP, THOUGH THEY MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTINGUISHED FOR THE IMC APCH. THE LOCAL CTLR DID NOT ISSUE A TFC ADZY TO EA 111 WITH THE LNDG CLNC. (SEE: NTSB/AAR-91/03)

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

(1) FAILURE OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES THAT ADEQUATELY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS SUCH AS THOSE WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE OF THE NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER TO DETECT THE DEVELOPING CONFLICT BETWEEN N44UE AND EA 111, AND (2) THE FAILURE OF THE NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER TO ENSURE THE SEPARATION OF ARRIVING AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE USING THE SAME RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE NORTH LOCAL CONTROLLER TO FOLLOW THE PRESCRIBED PROCEDURE OF ISSUING APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC INFORMATION TO EA 111, AND FAILURE OF THE NORTH FINAL CONTROLLER AND THE RADAR MONITOR CONTROLLER TO ISSUE TIMELY SPEED REDUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION BETWEEN AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/18/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1904
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ATLANTA
Event State GEORGIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 30320
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HARTSFIELD-ATLANTA INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ATL
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 106
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Unknown
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 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 157
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 14
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 18 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39504
Date of most recent change to record Apr 7 2001 12:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N44UE N8867E
NTSB Number DCA90MA017A DCA90MA017B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH BOEING
Aircraft Model A100 727
Aircraft Series Identifier A100 727
Aircraft Serial Number B-140 20823
Certified Max Gross Weight 12500 142000
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 11 134
Number of Engines 2 3
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Unknown
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0 0
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed Unknown No
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name EPS AIR SERVICE WILMINGTON TRUST CO TRUSTEE
Aircraft Owner Street Address DEKALB PEACHTREE AIRPORT CORP TR ADM RODNEY SQ NORTH
Aircraft Owner City ATLANTA WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State GA DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30341 19890
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name EASTERN AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Street Address MIAMI INT'L AIRPORT
Operator City MIAMI
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33148
Operator Code EALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown 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) Positioning Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Unknown Unknown
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code LGA
Departure City PEACHTREE ARPT NEW YORK
Departure State GA NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code ATL ATL
Destination City ATLANTA ATLANTA
Destination State GA GA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing Landing
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:43PM Dec 12 2000 4:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26R 26R
Runway Length 9000 9000
Runway Width 150 150
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --