John F. Kennedy Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Jamaica, New York 11430
Saturday, June 16, 1990 19:36 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A BOEING 747-230 (ALITALIA FLT 608, REG NO: I-DEMC) WAS IN A RIGHT TURN AS ITS CREW TRIED TO PASS BEHIND A STOPPED FOKKER F.28 MK 1000 (USAIR FLT 1948, REG NO: N458US). AS THE 747 WAS TURNING, ITS LEFT WING STRUCK THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE FK.28. THIS RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE 747 AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE F.28. THE CAPTAIN OF THE 747 SAID HE WAS 'ONE HOUR LATE AND TRYING TO MAKE UP TIME.' HE ALSO SAID, 'IT WAS MY FAULT.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE BOEING 747 CAPTAIN MISJUDGED CLEARANCE BETWEEN HIS AIRCRAFT AND THE FOKKER F.28. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE OF THE BOEING 747 CAPTAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/16/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1936
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City JAMAICA
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 11430
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JOHN F. KENNEDY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID JFK
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 13
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1939 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID JFK
Elevation of weather observation facility 13
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 133
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6027
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 16 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2050
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42569
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 IDEMC N458US
NTSB Number NYC90LA132A NYC90LA132B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 129: Foreign Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Minor Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING FOKKER
Aircraft Model 747-230 FK-28-1000
Aircraft Series Identifier 747-230 FK-28-1000
Aircraft Serial Number 22506
Certified Max Gross Weight 820000 65000
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign 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 303 69
Number of Engines 4 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name ALITALIA SPA USAIR
Aircraft Owner Street Address PIAZZ. LE G. PASTORE GREATER PITTSBURGH AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City ROME, ITALY PITTSBURGH
Aircraft Owner State OF PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 15231
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name USAIR
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code AZI USAA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? Yes No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown Unknown
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo Passenger/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No Yes
Departure Airport Code LIRF JFK
Departure City ROME, ITALY
Departure State OF
Departure Country
Departure Time 1430 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city --
Destination Airport Code JFK SYR
Destination City SYRACUSE
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi Standing
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 31R 31L
Runway Length 10000 14572
Runway Width 150 150
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --