Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Atlantic Ocean
Friday, December 30, 1988 17:03 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AMERICAN FLT 1180 (MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS DC-10) WAS NORTHBOUND OVR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AT FLT LVL 350 AS A BRITISH ROYAL AIR FORCE VICKERS VC10 WAS CRUISING EAST AT THE SAME ALT (NON-STANDARD ALT FOR THE VC10'S DRCTN OF FLT). THEY WERE IN A NON-RADAR AIRSPACE UNDER CTL OF NEW YORK ARTCC, USING NON-DIRECT RADIO COMM THRU ARINC. BOTH WERE IN VMC, ALTHOUGH OPERG UNDER IFR RULES. THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED AS THEY CROSSED OVR ELWOD INTXN. THE VC10 PASSED IN FRONT OF FLT 1180, FM LEFT TO RGT, WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED IFR SEPN. NEITHER FLT CREW SAW THE OTR ACFT UNTIL FLT 1180 FLEW THRU THE WAKE FM THE VC10. THE CREW OF FLT 1180 THEN SAW THE VC10 FLYING AWAY AT THE SAME ALT WHICH THEY ESTD WAS LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY. THE STRIP FOR THE VC10 WAS MARKED WITH A RED UNDERLINE & AN ARROW TO DEPICT ITS DRCTN OF FLT & NON-STANDARD ALT. THE CTLR SAID SHEWAS AWARE OF THE VC10, BUT DIDN'T SEE THE STRIP FOR FLT 1180 IN THE BAY FOR ELWOD INTXN. WHEN THE CTLR ASSUMED HER DUTY PSN, THE PREVIOUS CTLR TOLD HER THE VC10 WAS CLEAR (HAD NO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC) THRU STOCK, ELWOD & DEENO INTXNS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 12/30/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1703
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event State ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 12
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
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 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) 0
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) --
Density Altitude (feet) -30536
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 17
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5096
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 6 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40338
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 N153AA UNK
NTSB Number NYC89IA063A NYC89IA063B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Part 91: General Aviation
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 McDonnell Douglas VICKERS
Aircraft Model DC-10 VC10
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-10 VC10
Aircraft Serial Number 46708
Certified Max Gross Weight 455000 295000
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil Military
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No Unknown
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 345 17
Number of Engines 3 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness Unknown
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed No Unknown
ELT Activated No Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 619616
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name AMERICAN AIRLINES ROYAL AIR FORCE
Operator Same as Owner? No No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No No
Operator Street Address DALLAS/FT. WORTH REGIONAL ARPT
Operator City DALLAS UNKNOWN
Operator State TX UN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 75261
Operator Code AALA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder None
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 International --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Public Use
Second Pilot on Board Yes No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code SJU MZBZ
Departure City SAN JUAN BELIZE
Departure State PR OF
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code JFK TXKF
Destination City NEW YORK BERMUDA
Destination State NY OF
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 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length 0 --
Runway Width 0 --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --