Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hampton, New York 11554
Tuesady, September 29, 1987 19:18 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CONTROLLER (FPL CTLR) AT SECTOR 31 OF BOSTON ARTCC WAS GIVING FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING TO ANOTHER FPL CTLR TO FAMILIARIZE THE TRAINEE WITH A NEW AREA THAT HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM NEW YORK ARTCC TO BOSTON ARTCC. SECTOR 31 WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A RATHER COMPLEX & BUSY AREA. DURING A BUSY PERIOD AFTER TRAFFIC HAD 'PEAKED', THECTLRS WERE CONCENTRATING ON A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN 2 ACFT WHEN ONE OF THEM (EASTERN FLT 380, A BOEING 727) BEGAN CONVERGING WITH A 3RD ACFT (MAC 67947, A USAF C-141). THE CONFLICT ALERT SYSTEM ACTIVATED & THE CTLRS ISSUED A TURN TO AVOID CONVERGENCE; HOWEVER, THE 2 ACFT PASSED WITHIN 1/2 MILE OF EACH OTHER WITH THE SAME ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENT. EA380 HADBEEN ASSIGNED AN ABNORMALLY LOW ALTITUDE (FL230) FOR ITS ROUTING. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED WHEN EA380 TURNED IN RESPONSE TO AN ARTCC CLEARANCE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 9/29/1987
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1918
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HAMPTON
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 11554
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 9
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 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 Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 9000
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) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
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) 0
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 97
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5051
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 1 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 845
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35181
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N8864E USAF
NTSB Number MIA87IA264A MIA87IA264B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Armed Forces
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 LOCKHEED
Aircraft Model 727-225 C-141
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-225 C-141
Aircraft Serial Number 20626
Certified Max Gross Weight 142000 343000
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 134 --
Number of Engines 3 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Unknown
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- 0
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name EASTERN AIRLINES USAF
Aircraft Owner Street Address MIAMI INT'L AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City MIAMI MCGUIRE AFB
Aircraft Owner State FL NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33148 01704
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name USAF
Operator Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Street Address 76TH MAS.437 MAN/ECHS
Operator City MCGUIRE AFB
Operator State NJ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 01704
Operator Code EALA
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 Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code DCA
Departure City WASHINGTON MCGUIRE AFB
Departure State DC NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1815 0
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code BOS
Destination City BOSTON MCGUIRE AFB
Destination State MA NJ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise Descent
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM Oct 22 2001 3:26PM
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 -- --