# NTSB MIA88IA176: Airbus Industrie A-300, N209PA, Near San Juan, PR, May 23, 1988 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: May 23, 1988, 18:44 local (22:44 UTC) - Place: Near San Juan, PR - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 286 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 16, 1990 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 32062 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA88IA176 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/32062/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA88IA176 ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Near collision between aircraft, cruise - normal - artcc service - inadequate, atc personnel(artcc) (cause) - atc clearance - improper, atc personnel(artcc) (cause) - identification of aircraft on radar - not possible - Near collision between aircraft, cruise - normal - artcc service - inadequate, atc personnel(artcc) (cause) - atc clearance - improper, atc personnel(artcc) (cause) - identification of aircraft on radar - not possible ## Analysis (aircraft 2) PAN AM FLT 217 (AIRBUS A300, N209PA) WAS CLRD BY NEW YORK CENTER OCEANIC CTL AREA (OCA) TO PROCEED SOUTH ON AIRWAY AMBER 300 AT FL 290 OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. AS IT WAS EN ROUTE, AMERICAN FLT 902 DEPARTED SAN JUAN (SJU), PR FOR A NORTHBOUND FLT ON THE SAME AIRWAY UNDER IFR CTL BY SJU COMBINED CENTER & RADAR APCH CTL (CERAP). ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE CERAP CTLR. AS THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD WAS GETTING 'BUSY' WITH 'A HVY RUSH HOUR,' HIS SUPVR SCANNED THE BAY TO DETERMINE THE TRAFFIC (BUT DID NOT SEE THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP FOR FLT 217) & TOLD THE TRAINEE TO ASSIGN FLT 902 TO FL 290. THE TRAINEE COORDINATED THIS WITH OCA SINCE IT WAS THE WRONG DRCTN FOR THAT ALT. OCA APPROVED & FLT 902 WAS ASSIGNED FL 290. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & PASSED EACH OTHER WITH AN ESTD 300' LATERAL SEPN. THE NEAR COLLISION OCCURRED IN A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT OVER THE OCEAN ABT 200 MI NORTH OF SAN JUAN. THE OCA CTLR SAID SHE WAS AWARE BOTH FLTS WOULD BE AT THE SAME ALT, BUT APPROVAL WAS BASED ON PREMISE THAT SJU WAS AWARE & WOULD PROVIDE OTR SEPN. ## Analysis (aircraft 1) PAN AM FLT 217 (AIRBUS A300, N209PA) WAS CLRD BY NEW YORK CENTER OCEANIC CTL AREA (OCA) TO PROCEED SOUTH ON AIRWAY AMBER 300 AT FL 290 OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. AS IT WAS EN ROUTE, AMERICAN FLT 902 DEPARTED SAN JUAN (SJU), PR FOR A NORTHBOUND FLT ON THE SAME AIRWAY UNDER IFR CTL BY SJU COMBINED CENTER & RADAR APCH CTL (CERAP). ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE CERAP CTLR. AS THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD WAS GETTING 'BUSY' WITH 'A HVY RUSH HOUR,' HIS SUPVR SCANNED THE BAY TO DETERMINE THE TRAFFIC (BUT DID NOT SEE THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP FOR FLT 217) & TOLD THE TRAINEE TO ASSIGN FLT 902 TO FL 290. THE TRAINEE COORDINATED THIS WITH OCA SINCE IT WAS THE WRONG DRCTN FOR THAT ALT. OCA APPROVED & FLT 902 WAS ASSIGNED FL 290. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & PASSED EACH OTHER WITH AN ESTD 300' LATERAL SEPN. THE NEAR COLLISION OCCURRED IN A NON-RADAR INVIRONMENT OVER THE OCEAN ABT 200 MI NORTH OF SAN JUAN. THE OCA CTLR SAID SHE WAS AWARE BOTH FLTS WOULD BE AT THE SAME ALT, BUT APPROVAL WAS BASED ON PREMISE THAT SJU WAS AWARE & WOULD PROVIDE OTR SEPN. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: [N209PA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N209PA-1995-05-30), registration cancelled 1995-05-30, S/N 305 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A-300 (A300) - Registry model: [Airbus Industrie A300 B4-203](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a300-b4-203) (registry code 3930306) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 305 - Engines: GE CF6-50C2 50000 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Pan American World Airways - Registered owner: Wilmington Trust Company - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: JFK, NEW YORK CITY, NY - Destination: SVCS, CRCS,VENEZUELA, OF - Flight plan: IFR ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: [N727AA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N727AA-2017-04-04), registration cancelled 2017-04-04, S/N 20734, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 727 - Registry model: [Boeing 727-227](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-727-227) (registry code 1384078) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Engines: P&W JT8D 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Airlines - Registered owner: American Air Lines - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: SJU, SAN JUAN, PR - Destination: PHL, PHILADELPHIA, PA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N209PA; age 47; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; seat: left; flight hours: 9,460 total - Pilot, aircraft N727AA; age 51; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: unknown, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 12,700 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 13 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 18,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: SJU, 370 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 19880523070229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880523070229I), May 23, 1988: Boeing 727227, Atlantic Ocean, Puerto Rico. Near miss with NC 209PA. Both aircraft cleared at same altitude over the Atlantic Ocean. San juan controller error. 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.