# NTSB ANC87IA012: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10, Adak, AK, November 10, 1986

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: November 10, 1986, 16:54 local (20:54 UTC)
- Place: Adak, AK
- Location: 51.9095° N, 176.5992° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Adak, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=51.9095&lon=-176.5992&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 201 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 25, 1988
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 4794
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC87IA012
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/4794/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC87IA012

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Near collision between aircraft, cruise - normal
  - procedures/directives - not followed, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - crew/group coordination - inadequate, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained (cause)
- Near collision between aircraft, cruise - normal
  - procedures/directives - not followed, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - crew/group coordination - inadequate, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained (cause)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

A CANADIAN PACIFIC MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10 (FLT 3), CG-CPJ, & A REEVE ALEUTIAN BOEING 727 (FLT 724), N832, WERE CLRD TO FLY AT FL 290 ON 2 DIFFERENT AIRWAYS. THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM INTXN, OVR THE BEARING SEA. WHILE TRAVELING IN NRLY OPPOSITE DRCTNS AT THE SAME ALT, THE 2 ACFT PASSED W/I APRX 1/2 MI OF EACH OTHER, WHERE THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM. THE DC-10 CREW SAW THE B-727, BUT THE B-727 CREW DID NOT SEE THE DC-10. PICUM INTXN WAS LOCATED IN AN AREA THAT WAS BYD NORMAL RADIO & RADAR RANGE OF THE ATC CONTROLLERS (CTLRS). THE 2 ON DUTY CTLRS HAD COMBINED SECTORS 10 & 11, THEN HAD DIVIDED THE 2 SECTORS IN A NORTH/SOUTH CONFIGURATION, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO SOP. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DRG A BUSY TIME. THE SUPVR WAS HELPING 1 OF THE 2 CTLRS. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 3, CLRD IT TO DSCND FM FL 330 TO FL 290 & SAID HE TOLD THE OTHER CTLR TO STOP FLT 724 AT FL 280, WHEN FLT 724 WAS CLIMBING FM A LWR ALT. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 724, STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN ACFT AT FL 290 WHEN HE CLRD FLT 724 TO FL 290.

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: CGCPJ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: P&W JT9D 42500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 129
- Registered owner: Canadian Pacific
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: YVR, VANCOUVR,CANADA
- Destination: NRT, TOKYO, JAPAN
- Flight plan: IFR

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: N832 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 727
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: P&W JT8D 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Registered owner: Reeve Aleutian Airways
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: SYA, SHEMYA, AK
- Destination: ANC, ANCHORAGE, AK
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft 1; foreign; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left
- Pilot, aircraft N832; age 56; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 18,950 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk
- Wind: 0° at 58 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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