# NTSB MIA88IA020: Boeing 727-214, N375PA, St Croix, October 28, 1987 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: October 27, 1987, 21:03 local (Oct 28, 1987, 01:03 UTC) - Place: St Croix - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 68 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 10, 1989 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 32044 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA88IA020 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/32044/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA88IA020 ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Near collision between aircraft, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - vfr procedures - not followed, pilot in command (cause) - instructions,written/verbal - not followed, pilot in command (cause) - Near collision between aircraft, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot of other aircraft (cause) - vfr procedures - not followed, pilot of other aircraft (cause) - instructions,written/verbal - not followed, pilot of other aircraft (cause) ## Analysis (aircraft 2) PAA FLT WAS ON VISUAL APCH AND IN CONTACT WITH APCH CONTROL WHO INFORMED FLT OF TWO ACFT AHEAD ALSO ON VISUAL APCH. THE CONTROLLER OFFERED VECTORS TO CLEAR TRAFFIC. PAA FLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE CURRENT HEADING. THE TWO PRECEDING ACFT WERE ON TWR FREQ GIVING POSITION ADVISORIES FOR THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE PAA FLT ELECTED TO STAY ON APCH CONTROL FOR ASR ASSIST. AS THE FLT CLOSED ON THE SECOND ACFT IT REQUESTED VECTORS AWAY. THE CONTROLLER STATED THEIR TARGETS HAD MERGED AND HE WAS NO LONGER SEEING EITHER OF THE OTHER ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS THE SECOND ACFT WAS OBSERVED OFF THE RIGHT NOSE SLIGHTLY BELOW AT 150 TO 175 FEET. THE PAA FLT PERFORMED A CLIMBING LEFT TURN AND CLEARED THE OTHER ACFT. THE PAA FLT THEN CIRCLED AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AFTER THE OTHER TWO ACFT LANDED. COMPANY PROCEDURES CALLED FOR PAA TO MONITOR THE TWR FREQ FOR TRAFFIC AND GIVE POSITION REPORTS WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS NOT DONE. ## Analysis (aircraft 1) PAA FLT WAS ON VISUAL APCH AND IN CONTACT WITH APCH CONTROL WHO INFORMED FLT OF TWO ACFT AHEAD ALSO ON VISUAL APCH. THE CONTROLLER OFFERED VECTORS TO CLEAR TRAFFIC. PAA FLT ELECTED ON CONTINUE CURRENT HEADING. THE TWO PRECEDING ACFT WERE ON TWR FREQ GIVING POSITION ADVISORIES FOR THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE PAA FLT ELECTED TO STAY ON APCH CONTROL FOR ASR ASSIST. AS THE FLT CLOSED ON THE SECOND ACFT IT REQUESTED VECTORS AWAY. THE CONTROLLER STATED THEIR TARGETS HAD MERGED AND HE WAS NO LONGER SEEING EITHER OF THE OTHER ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS THE SECOND ACFT WAS OBSERVED OFF THE RIGHT NOSE SLIGHTLY BELOW AT 150 TO 175 FEET. THE PAA FLT PERFORMED A CLIMBING LEFT TURN AND CLEARED THE OTHER ACFT. THE PAA FLT THEN CIRCLED AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AFTER THE OTHER TWO ACFT LANDED. COMPANY PROCEDURES CALLED FOR THE PAA FLT TO MONITOR THE TWR FREQ FOR TRAFFIC AND GIVE POSITION REPORTS WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS NOT DONE. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: N375PA (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BOEING 727-214 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20875 - Engines: P&W JT8D 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Pan American World Airways, doing business as Pan Am - Registered owner: Carden And Cherry Adv. Agency - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: MIA, MIAMI, FL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: STX, Alexander Hamilton, runway 9, 7,612 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: N80617 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: DOUGLAS DC-3 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20865 - Engines: WRIGHT R-1820 1275 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Carib Air Cargo - Registered owner: Carib Air Cargo Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: SJU, SAN JUAN, PR - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: STX, Alexander Hamilton, runway 9, 7,612 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N375PA; age 48; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 15,437 total, 8,259 in this make and model, 2 in the last 24 hours - Pilot, aircraft N80617; age 53; flight instructor, flight engineer, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, multi-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 12,247 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 140° at 5 knots - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 79 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: STX, 3 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 19871027081672I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19871027081672I), Oct 27, 1987: Boeing 727214, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands. Evasive manuever performed to miss DC3 N80617 both on VFR approach. No lights on DC 3. 727 not on local advisor. - [Incident 19871027081671I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19871027081671I), Oct 27, 1987: Doug DC3, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands. Was nearly run down by a 727 N375PA both on a night VFR approach. Tail light and beacon inop. Not same radio used. 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.