# NTSB ATL89MA012: Aerospatiale ATR-42-300, N17810, Yardley, PA, October 12, 1988

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Major investigation · Final report
- Date: October 12, 1988, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place: Yardley, PA
- Coordinates: 40.199951, -74.780479 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2000&lon=-74.7805&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 39 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report January 16, 1990
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 8072
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL89MA012
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8072/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL89MA012

## Sequence of events

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

- Near collision between aircraft, descent - normal
  - procedures/directives - not followed, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - instructions,written/verbal - not understood, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - information insufficient, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
- Near collision between aircraft, descent - normal
  - procedures/directives - not followed, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - instructions,written/verbal - not understood, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
  - supervision - inadequate, atc personnel(supervisor) (cause)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - information insufficient, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

BFR TKOF, CORRECTED FLT PLAN WAS PUT IN ATC COMPUTER FOR AIRFORCE 1 (AF1) TO TAKE NONSTANDARD RTE TO NEWARK. AFTER TKOF,AF1 WAS VCTRD NW WITH HANDOFF TO NY ARTCC (ZNY), THEN EAST VIA YARDLEY (ARD) TO NEWARK; 15 MI WEST OF ARD, ZNY INITIATEDHANDOFF TO NY TRACON (N90). TRACON SUPVR ADZD ZNY THAT AF1 SHLD BE DSCNDG TO 9000' DRG HANDOFF, THEN N90 CTLR TLD WASH ARTCC (ZDC) CTLR IN ADJ SECTOR TO 'STOP THE NEWARK ARRIVALS ONLY.' ZNY CTLR CLRD AF1 TO DSCND & CHG TO N90 FREQ, BUT W/OGIVING ZDC MANDATORY POINTOUT OF AF1. MEANWHILE, BAR HARBOR FLT 494 WAS BEING CTLD BY ZDC & WAS INBND TO ARD ON A NE HDGAT 11,000'.  NOTING AN AUTOMATED HANDOFF WAS ACCEPTED BY N90, ZDC CTLR CLRD FLT 494 TO DSCND TO 7000' & CHG TO N90 FREQ.N90 CTLR NOTED DVLPG SITUATION, BUT THOUGHT ALL FLTS FM ZDC SECTOR WLD BE HELD IN ZDC AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTN, BUT STANDARD SEPN BTN ACFT WAS LOST NR BASE OF 10,000' CLD LAYER. INV REVEALED INADEQUATE MONITORING & COORDINATION BTN ATC FACILITIES; SVRL CONTROLLERS & SUPVRS LACKED TRNG OR AWARENESS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

## Analysis (aircraft 1)

BFR TKOF, CORRECTED FLT PLN WAS PUT IN ATC COMPUTER FOR AIR FORCE 1 (AF1) TO TAKE NONSTANDARD RTE TO NEWARK. AFTER TKOF,AF1 WAS VCTRD NW WITH HANDOFF TO NY ARTCC (ZNY), THEN EAST VIA YARDLEY (ARD) TO NEWARK; 15 MI WEST OF ARD, ZNY INITIATEDHANDOFF TO NY TRACON (N90). TRACON SUPVR ADZD ZNY THAT AF1 SHLD BE DSNDG TO 9000' DRG HANDOFF, THEN N90 CTLR TLD WASH ARTCC (ZDC) CTLR IN ADJ SECTOR TO 'STOP THE NEWARK ARRIVALS ONLY.' ZNY CTLR CLRD AF1 TO DSCND & CHG TO N90 FREQ, BUT W/OGIVING ZDC MANDATORY POINTOUT OF AF1. MEANWHILE, BAR HARBOR FLT 494 WAS BEING CTLD BY ZDC & WAS INBND TO ARD ON A NE HDGAT 11,000'.  NOTING AN AUTOMATED HANDOFF WAS ACCEPTED BY N90, ZDC CTLR CLRD FLT 494 TO DSCND TO 7000' & CHG TO N90 FREQ.N90 CTLR NOTED DVLPG SITUATION, BUT THOUGHT ALL FLTS FM ZDC SECTOR WLD BE HELD IN ZDC AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTN, BUT STANDARD SEPN BTN ACFT WAS LOST NR BASE OF 10,000' CLD LAYER. INV REVEALED INADEQUATE MONITORING & COORDINATION BTN ATC FACILITIES; SVRL CONTROLLERS & SUPVRS LACKED TRNG OR AWARENESS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: [N17810](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N17810-1996-08-22), registration cancelled 1996-08-22, S/N 093 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE ATR-42-300 (ATR 42-300)
- Registry model: [Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-320](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-aeritalia-atr-42-320) (registry code 8680930) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 093
- Airframe hours: 898
- Engines: P&W PW120 2000 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: Bar Harbor Airways, doing business as Bar Harbor A/L,Ea X, Cont'L X
- Registered owner: Continental Airlines Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 24, 1988, 137 hours before
- Departed: BWI, BALTIMORE, MD
- Destination: EWR, NEWARK, NJ
- Flight plan: IFR

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: AF 1 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 707-300
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 27000
- Engines: P&W JT3D 12000 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Armed forces
- Operator: 89th Military Airlift Wing
- Registered owner: 89th Military Airlift Wing
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: PHL, PHILADELPHIA, PA
- Destination: EWR, NEWARK, NJ
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N17810; age 40; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 6,260 total
- Pilot, aircraft 2; military; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 10 °F
- 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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