- Date
- March 1, 1989, 10:37 local (16:37 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 185 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N820NYMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82N918TWMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19890301066599I19890301066589I
- Case key
- 22797
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 TRACON final approach controller to assure radar separation between the aircraft. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate supervision by the ATC supervisor, excessive workload for the controller, unclear instructions by the controller, and a misunderstanding of the ATC clearance by the flight crew of Continental flight 122.
Failure of the TRACON final approach controller to assure radar separation between the aircraft. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate supervision by the ATC supervisor, excessive workload for the controller, unclear instructions by the controller, and a misunderstanding of the ATC clearance by the flight crew of Continental flight 122.
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
Twa flt 806 (DC-9) was nw of arpt (for ILS rwy 9 apch) as Continental flt 122 (DC-9) was sw of arpt for same apch. Both were in IMC, being vctrd by final TRACON ctlr (working 2 sectors & ctlg 23 acft). As flt 122 was apchg localizer (LOC) & hdg 060 deg at 3000' MSL, flt 806 was abt 8 mi nw of flt 122 & was clrd to intercept LOC. Ctlr tmtd to flt 122 'four fm the marker, maint 2000 until established on the LOC, clrd ILS rwy 9 apch, and are you going thru the LOC too?' Flt 122 replied 'yes sir, you never told us to intercept.' Ctlr then told flt 122 'maint 3500 & turn left 360,' meaning to turn to a hdg of 360 deg. Flt 122 thought ctlr wanted a 360 deg circling turn & bgn a rgt turn. While circling, flt 122 asked for a hdg to roll out on. Ctlr said to fly hdg 230. Ctlr then realized the 2 acft were converging. He told flt 122 to dcnd to 2000' & tmtd for 'Continental 806' to maint 3500'. Since ctlr used wrong company designator, twa flt 806 did not respond. Radar showed the 2 acft passed at abt 3100' with .079 mi sepn.
Twa flt 806 (DC-9) was nw of arpt (for ILS rwy 9 apch) as Continental flt 122 (DC-9) was sw of arpt for same apch. Both were in IMC, being vctrd by final TRACON ctlr (working 2 sectors & ctlg 23 acft). As flt 122 was apchg localizer (LOC) & hdg 060 deg at 3000' MSL, flt 806 was abt 8 mi nw of flt 122 & was clrd to intercept LOC. Ctlr tmtd to flt 122 'four fm the marker, maint 2000 until established on the LOC, clrd ILS rwy 9 apch, and are you going thru the LOC too?' Flt 122 replied 'yes sir, you never told us to intercept.' Ctlr then told flt 122 'maint 3500 & turn left 360,' meaning to turn to a hdg of 360 deg. Flt 122 thought ctlr wanted a 360 deg circling turn & bgn a rgt turn. While circling, flt 122 asked for a hdg to roll out on. Ctlr said to fly hdg 230. Ctlr then realized the 2 acft were converging. He told flt 122 to dcnd to 2000' & tmtd for 'Continental 806' to maint 3500'. Since ctlr used wrong company designator, twa flt 806 did not respond. Radar showed the 2 acft passed at abt 3100' with .079 mi sepn.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N820NY
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49480
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-217A, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Continental Airlines, doing business as Continental Airlines
- Registered owner
- Tac 820 Corp
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IAH · Houston Intercontinental, runway 9, 9,999 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- N918TW
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49367
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Trans World Airlines
- Registered owner
- First Security Bank Of Utah
- Departed
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IAH · Houston Intercontinental, runway 9, 9,999 × 150 ft, asphalt
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 N820NY
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N918TW
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 2,749 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAH, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.