- Date
- October 18, 1984, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 50 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- USAFBoeing VC-137B-BNN6507UMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Case key
- 15841
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During arrival, a Boeing VC-137B-BN, USAF #58-6970, operating as air force 2 (AF-2), was cleared for a localizer back- course apch. At 1442:49, TRACON advised AF-2 of traffic at its 10 o'clock position at 2 mi, alt unkn. At 1443:11, TRACON advised AF-2 the traffic had moved to its 11 o-clock position at 1-1/2 mi. AF-2 acknowledged both transmissions. At 1443:29, AF-2 advised that the flt was changing its freq to Boeing tower. Shortly thereafter, the acft cmdr of AF-2, seated in the right, saw the traffic, a Mooney M20C, N6507U, on a collision course. He took control & initiated evasive action. The plt of N6507U was cruising at 2,500 ft outside the Seattle tca & did not see AF-2, which had converged from his right rear area. The Mooney's #1 radio was inop & its #2 radio antenna had been vandalized, thus the plt was not in radio contact with ATC. The last digit/wheel on his transponder was stuck on '5' & code 1205 was being transmitted. The transponder had no mode 'c' alt reporting capability. All of the backcourse apch was outside the tca.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- USAF
- Reported as
- Boeing VC-137B-BN
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17925
- Engine
- P&W TF-33, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- 89th Military Airlift Wing
- Departed
- GEG · Spokane, WA
- Destination
- BFI · Seattle, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 31L, 10,000 × 200 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- N6507U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bruce H. Collins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- S44 · Spanaway, WA
- Destination
- S88 · Arlington, WA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 1
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,602 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6507U
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI, 8 nm away