- Date
- June 2, 1987, 10:12 local (16:12 UTC)
- Place
- Casper, WY
- Injuries
- 72 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N297USBoeing 727-251USAFBoeing EC-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870602080319I
- Case key
- 17138
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
Boeing 727 (northwest flt 354) & USAF EC-135 (slum 51) were involved in a nr collision at FL 330. The mishap occurred asflt 354 was ene bnd on J-158 & slum 51 was flying on a radial-distance (r/d) flt pln, flying btn r/d pts south of J-158.as slum 51 apchd its most western pt, the crew reqd a rgt turn to a r/d pt that was not the next listed pt on their flt pln. The trainee ctlr (t/c) didn't realize slum 51 was reqg a route chg, but thought the flt wanted to turn back east tothe next filed r/d pt with a rgt turn (instead of a l turn as previously done). The t/c replied, 'unable rgt turn, make a left turn.' The instructor heard the req, but thought the t/c's reply was disapproval of a route chg. As the ctlrs turned their attn to otr (hvy/complex) traffic, slum 51 contd a 270 deg l turn (to north) & converged with flt 354. The 9020 (primary) computer was inop; the darc (backup) computer had no capability of displaying projected routes or provid-ing conflict alert. No flow ctl restrictions were in effect to rdc the amount of traffic.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N297US
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-251
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21789
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Northwest Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- SFO · San Francisco, CA
- Destination
- MSP · Minneapolis, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
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.
- Registration
- USAF
- Reported as
- Boeing EC-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- P&W J-57, 13,750 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Armed forces
- Registered owner
- United States Air Force
- Departed
- RCA · Rapid City, SD
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N297US
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,230 total · 10,000 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 3,300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.