# NTSB MIA87IA264: Boeing 727-225, N8864E, Hampton, NY, September 29, 1987

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: September 29, 1987, 19:18 local (23:18 UTC)
- Place: Hampton, NY
- Coordinates: 40.709659, -73.54985 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7097&lon=-73.5499&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 97 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report November 15, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 31805
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA87IA264
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/31805/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA87IA264

## Sequence of events

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

- Near collision between aircraft, cruise - normal
  - light condition - dusk (contributing factor)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - lack of familiarity with geographic area, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)
- Near collision between aircraft, descent - normal
  - light condition - dusk (contributing factor)
  - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(artcc) (cause)
  - lack of familiarity with geographic area, atc personnel(artcc) (contributing factor)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

A FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CONTROLLER (FPL CTLR) AT SECTOR 31 OF BOSTON ARTCC WAS GIVING FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING TO ANOTHER FPL CTLR TO FAMILIARIZE THE TRAINEE WITH A NEW AREA THAT HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM NEW YORK ARTCC TO BOSTON ARTCC. SECTOR 31 WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A RATHER COMPLEX & BUSY AREA. DURING A BUSY PERIOD AFTER TRAFFIC HAD 'PEAKED', THE CTLRS WERE CONCENTRATING ON A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN 2 ACFT WHEN ONE OF THEM (EASTERN FLT 380, A BOEING 727) BEGAN CONVERGING WITH A 3RD ACFT (MAC 67947, A USAF C-141). THE CONFLICT ALERT SYSTEM ACTIVATED & THE CTLRS ISSUED A TURN TO AVOID CONVERGENCE; HOWEVER, THE 2 ACFT PASSED WITHIN 1/2 MI OF EACH OTHER WITH THE SAME ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENT. EA380 HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AN ABNORMALLY LOW ALTITUDE (FL230) FOR ITS ROUTING. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED WHEN EA380 TURNED IN RESPONSE TO AN ARTCC CLEARANCE.

## Analysis (aircraft 1)

A FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CONTROLLER (FPL CTLR) AT SECTOR 31 OF BOSTON ARTCC WAS GIVING FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING TO ANOTHER FPL CTLR TO FAMILIARIZE THE TRAINEE WITH A NEW AREA THAT HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM NEW YORK ARTCC TO BOSTON ARTCC. SECTOR 31 WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A RATHER COMPLEX & BUSY AREA. DURING A BUSY PERIOD AFTER TRAFFIC HAD 'PEAKED', THECTLRS WERE CONCENTRATING ON A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN 2 ACFT WHEN ONE OF THEM (EASTERN FLT 380, A BOEING 727) BEGAN CONVERGING WITH A 3RD ACFT (MAC 67947, A USAF C-141). THE CONFLICT ALERT SYSTEM ACTIVATED & THE CTLRS ISSUED A TURN TO AVOID CONVERGENCE; HOWEVER, THE 2 ACFT PASSED WITHIN 1/2 MILE OF EACH OTHER WITH THE SAME ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENT. EA380 HADBEEN ASSIGNED AN ABNORMALLY LOW ALTITUDE (FL230) FOR ITS ROUTING. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED WHEN EA380 TURNED IN RESPONSE TO AN ARTCC CLEARANCE.

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: N8864E (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 727-225
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 20626
- Engines: P&W JT8D 15500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Registered owner: Eastern Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: DCA, WASHINGTON, DC
- Destination: BOS, BOSTON, MA
- Flight plan: IFR

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: USAF (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: LOCKHEED C-141
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: P&W TF-33 20350 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Armed forces
- Operator: Usaf
- Registered owner: Usaf
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: MCGUIRE AFB, NJ
- Destination: MCGUIRE AFB, NJ
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N8864E; age 53; flight engineer, 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: 17,420 total
- Pilot, aircraft 2; military; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: -0 °F, dew point -0 °F

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.