# NTSB FTW89IA016: Boeing 727, N386PA, Houston, TX, November 6, 1988

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: November 6, 1988, 10:03 local (16:03 UTC)
- Place: Houston, TX
- Coordinates: 29.650535, -95.280433 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6505&lon=-95.2804&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 53 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 19, 1990
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 22794
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW89IA016
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/22794/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW89IA016

## Probable cause

POOR PLANNING/DECISION BY THE UNIDENTIFIED CESSNA PILOT BY MANEUVERING IN BUSY AIRSPACE NEAR THE ARSA WITH NO ATC COORDINATION OR TRANSPONDER SIGNAL; NO TRAFFIC ADVISORY BEING ISSUED BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER; AND INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE FLIGHT CREW OF THE BOEING 727. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF AIR/GROUND COMMUNICATION BY THE UNIDENTIFIED PILOT.

## Sequence of events

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

- Near collision between aircraft, approach
  - planning/decision - poor, pilot of other aircraft (contributing factor)
  - air/ground communications - not used, pilot of other aircraft (contributing factor)
  - traffic advisory - not issued, atc personnel(dep/apch) (cause)
  - visual lookout - delayed, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

DRG A GILCO ONE ARRIVAL (STAR), PAN AMERICAN FLT 511 WAS CLRD BY HOUSTON APCH CTL TO DSCND & MAINT 6000'. AS FLT 511 WASINBOUND (TRAVELING WEST) ON THE STAR AT 6000' & 250 KTS, IT CONVERGED WITH A CESSNA 172 OR 182 ABOUT 10 MI EAST OF THE ARPT. THE CESSNA WAS ON A WNW COURSE AT 6000' NEAR THE ARPT SERVICE AREA (ARSA). AS THE 2 ACFT WERE CONVERGING, THE FLT ENGINEER IDENTIFIED THE CESSNA AHEAD & THE CAPT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY TURNING LEFT. FLT 511 PASSED THE CESSNA WITH AN ESTIMATED 100 YDS OF SEPN. THE CESSNA PLT WAS NOT IN RADIO COMMUNIATION WITH APCH CTL, NOR WAS HOUSTON RADAR RCVG A TRANSPONDER REPLY FROM THE CESSNA. THE UPPER LIMIT OF THE ARSA WAS AT 4000' MSL. THE CAPT OF FLT 511 RPRTD A NEAR COLLISION TO THE CTLR. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED & ADVISED HE WAS AWARE OF THE TRAFFIC, BUT JUST DID NOT ISSUE AN ADVISORY. RADAR DATA VERIFIED THAT THE UNIDENTIFIED CESSNA HAD BEEN MANEUVERING IN A BUSY AREA ABOUT 10 MI EAST OF HOUSTON/HOBBY ARPT (ALONG THE GILCO ONE ARRIVAL ROUTE) WITH NO TRANSPONDER DISPLAY.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N386PA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N386PA-1992-12-11), registration cancelled 1992-12-11, S/N 19973 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 727
- Registry model: [Boeing 727-251](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-727-251) (registry code 138408H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 19973
- Engines: P&W JT8D 15500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Registered owner: Pan American World Airways
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: MIA, MIAMI, FL
- Destination: HOU, HOUSTON, TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: HOU, William P Hobby

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 49; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 17,585 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: HOU, 10 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 19881106071319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881106071319I), Nov 6, 1988: Boeing 727251, Houston, TX. Evasive maneuver was taken to avoid collision with a Cessna single during initial approach. Cessna not identified.

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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