Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wrightstown, New Jersey 08562
Wednesday, April 8, 1987 10:31 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

RANSOM FLT 444 (DHC-7) RPRTD A NEAR COLLISION WITH USAF C-141 (GLEEK 41) AS FLT 444 WAS AT 5000' & GLEEK 41 WAS CLBG TO 7500' FM A COMBAT AIRCREW TRAINING (CAT) MNVR. FLT 444 WAS UNDER IFR CTL OF MCGUIRE AFB RAPCON; GLEEK 41 WAS VFR, RCVG RADAR ADZYS FM RAPCON. THE DHC-7 CREW RPRTD THE CAMOUFLAGED C-141 BLENDED WITH THE BACKGROUND. AS THEY MNVRD TO AVOID A COLLISION, THE F/A & 1 PAX WERE INJURED. THE C-141 CAT MNVR (FM RWY 36 AT MCGUIRE) SIMULATED VFR APCH & DEP FM A HOSTILEARPT ENVIRONMENT. TO STAY IN THE ALLOCATED AIRSPACE, GLEEK 41 SHOULD HAVE MADE A LEFT CLBG DEP. THE RAPCON CTLR LACKED FAMILIARITY WITH THE CAT MNVR, BUT APPROVED A CLB TO 7500'. HE NOTED FLT 444 WAS COMING FM THE WEST, SO GAVE A TRAFFIC ADZY & TOLD GLEEK 41 TO TURN RGT TO 090 DEG. BY THAT TIME, GLEEK 41 WAS WELL IN A LEFT TURN, CLBG ABT 3000'/MIN. ANOTHERTRAFFIC ADZY WAS GIVEN & GLEEK 41 WAS TOLD TO LVL AT 4500', BUT IT RCHD ABT 5000' & CONVERGED WITH FLT 444 BFR ASCENT WAS ARRESTED. THE RAPCON RADAR (GPN-12/PIDP) DIDN'T HAVE CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTION. THE C-141 CREW DIDN'T SEE THE DHC-7.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 4/8/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1031
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City WRIGHTSTOWN
Event State NEW JERSEY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 08562
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
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 Unknown
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 4500
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 15
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5095
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
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 N42RA USAF
NTSB Number NYC87IA118A NYC87IA118B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR Military VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Minor None
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name de Havilland LOCKHEED
Aircraft Model DHC-7-102 C-141
Aircraft Series Identifier DHC-7-102 C-141
Aircraft Serial Number 58 63-8090
Certified Max Gross Weight 44000 344000
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil Military
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 52 209
Number of Engines 4 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed Yes Unknown
ELT Activated No Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name GENERAL ELECTRIC CREDIT CORP. USAF
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 8300 438 MAW
Aircraft Owner City STAMFORD MCGUIRE AFB
Aircraft Owner State CT NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 06904 08641
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name PAN AM EXPRESS
Operator Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Street Address NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT
Operator City PHILADELPHIA
Operator State PA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 19114
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No Yes
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) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code PHL WRI
Departure City PHILADELPHIA MCGUIRE AFB
Departure State PA NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 1030
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt -- dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code JFK WRI
Destination City JAMAICA
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise Climb
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 -- --