Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Greensboro, North Carolina 27425
Thursday, March 10, 1988 12:11 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

CONTINENTAL FLT 458 (BOEING 737, N13331) WAS FLYING NE AT FL370 AS CONTINENTAL FLT 703 (BOEING 737, N432PE) WAS FLYING FM THE OPPOSITE DRCTN AT FL350. BOTH FLTS WERE ON THE SAME FREQ, BEING CTLD BY ATLANTA ARTCC (SECTOR 47) CTLR, WHO HAD JUST COME ON DUTY. IN PREPARATION FOR HANDOFF TO SECTOR 33, FLT 458 WAS TOLD TO DSCND TO FL 350; FURTHER DSCNT OF FLT 458 WAS INTENDED AS SOON AS IT WAS CLR OF A 3RD ACFT AT FL330. THE RELIEVED SECTOR 47 CTLR HAD AGREED WITH THE SECTOR 33 CTLR THAT SECTOR 33 WOULD GIVE FLT 458 A VECTOR SO IT COULD BE FURTHER DSCNDD. BASED ON AN ASSUMPTION OF WHAT WAS TO BE DONE, THE SECTOR 47 CTLR HANDED OFF FLT 458 TO SECTOR 33. DRG THIS TIME FRAME, THE SECTOR 33 CTLR WAS ALSO RELIEVED & FLT 458 WAS NOT VECTORED FOR ABT 3 MIN. SEEING A POTENTIAL CONFLICT, THE CTLRS TURNED THEIR RESPECTIVE FLTS, BUT BOTH WERE TURNED TOWARD THE NW (FLT 458 TO THE LEFT & FLT 703 TO THE RGT). AS BOTH ACFT WERE TURNING, THEY CONTD TO CONVERGE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CONFLICT ALERT SOUNDED & THE ACFT PASSED EACH OTHER AT THE SAME ALT WITH ABT .6 MI SEPN.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 3/10/1988
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1211
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City GREENSBORO
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 27425
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
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 Day
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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 159
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5032
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 10 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1615
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36207
Date of most recent change to record Apr 9 2001 10:27AM
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 N13331 N432PE
NTSB Number ATL88IA108A ATL88IA108B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage None None
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING BOEING
Aircraft Model 737 737
Aircraft Series Identifier 737 737
Aircraft Serial Number 25569 19885
Certified Max Gross Weight 135000 115000
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 149 130
Number of Engines 2 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 Yes Yes
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY PEOPLE EXPRESS AIRLINES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RODNEY SQUARE NORTH NORTH TERMINAL NEWARK INTL ARP
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON NEWARK
Aircraft Owner State DE NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19890 07114
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name CONTINENTAL AIRLINES CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 4607 P.O. BOX 4607
Operator City HOUSTON HOUSTON
Operator State TX TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77210 77210
Operator Code CALA CALA
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code IAH EWR
Departure City HOUSTON NEWARK
Departure State TX NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code DCA RSW
Destination City WASHINGTON FORT MYERS
Destination State DC FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise Cruise
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 0 0
Runway Length 0 0
Runway Width 0 0
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --