- Date
- March 21, 1989, 18:29 local (Mar 22, 1989, 00:29 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 261 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N728Boeing 727-200AXAMXEBoeing 727-200
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17617
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the ARTCC controller to assure that the aircraft maintained IFR separation standards. The controller's heavy workload was a related factor.
Failure of the ARTCC controller to assure that the aircraft maintained IFR separation standards. The controller's heavy workload was a related factor.
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
American airline flt 1269 & mexicana airline flt 731 were cruising at FL 290 on southerly headings. After deviating around weather, flt 1269 was on a south-southeasterly heading. Subsequently, the two Boeing 727 aircraft converged to about 1.06 mi from each other, violating the minimum horizontal separation requirement. The operational error occurred when the ARTCC controller was busy with heavy traffic.
American airline flt 1269 & mexicana airline flt 731 were cruising at FL 290 on southerly headings. After deviating around weather, flt 1269 was on a south-southeasterly heading. Subsequently, the two Boeing 727 aircraft converged to about 1.06 mi from each other, violating the minimum horizontal separation requirement. The operational error occurred when the ARTCC controller was busy with heavy traffic.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N728
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-200A
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-9, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines
- Registered owner
- American Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- DFW · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- CUN · Can Cun
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Registration
- XAMXE
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-17R, 17,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Mexicana Airlines
- Registered owner
- Mexicana Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- DFW · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- MTY · Mariano Escobed
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N728
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,300 total · 5,300 in this make and model · 730 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Observed at
- HOU