- Date
- April 8, 1987, 10:31 local (14:31 UTC)
- Place
- Wrightstown, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 15 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N42RAde Havilland DHC-7-102USAFLockheed C-141
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19870408014229I
- Case key
- 30528
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
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
Ransom flt 444 (DHC-7) rprtd a near collision with USAF C-141 (gleek 41) as flt 444 was at 5000' & gleek 41 was clbg to 7500' fm a combat aircrew training (cat) mnvr. Flt 444 was under IFR ctl of mcguire afb rapcon; gleek 41 was VFR, rcvg radar adzys fm rapcon. The DHC-7 crew rprtd the camouflaged C-141 blended with the background. As they mnvrd to avoid a collision, the f/a & 1 pax were injured. The C-141 cat mnvr (fm rwy 36 at mcguire) simulated VFR apch & dep fm a hostilearpt environment. To stay in the allocated airspace, gleek 41 should have made a left clbg dep. The rapcon ctlr lacked familiarity with the cat mnvr, but approved a clb to 7500'. He noted flt 444 was coming fm the west, so gave a traffic adzy & told gleek 41 to turn rgt to 090 deg. By that time, gleek 41 was well in a left turn, clbg abt 3000'/MIN. Anothertraffic adzy was given & gleek 41 was told to lvl at 4500', but in rchd abt 5000' & converged with flt 444 bfr ascent was arrested. The rapcon radar (GPN-12/pidp) didn't have conflict alert function. The C-141 crew didn't see the DHC-7.
Ransom flt 444 (DHC-7) rprtd a near collision with USAF C-141 (gleek 41) as flt 444 was at 5000' & gleek 41 was clbg to 7500' fm a combat aircrew training (cat) mnvr. Flt 444 was under IFR ctl of mcguire afb rapcon; gleek 41 was VFR, rcvg radar adzys fm rapcon. The DHC-7 crew rprtd the camouflaged C-141 blended with the background. As they mnvrd to avoid a collision, the f/a & 1 pax were injured. The C-141 cat mnvr (fm rwy 36 at mcguire) simulated VFR apch & dep fm a hostilearpt environment. To stay in the allocated airspace, gleek 41 should have made a left clbg dep. The rapcon ctlr lacked familiarity with the cat mnvr, but approved a clb to 7500'. He noted flt 444 was coming fm the west, so gave a traffic adzy & told gleek 41 to turn rgt to 090 deg. By that time, gleek 41 was well in a left turn, clbg abt 3000'/MIN. Anothertraffic adzy was given & gleek 41 was told to lvl at 4500', but it rchd abt 5000' & converged with flt 444 bfr ascent was arrested. The rapcon radar (GPN-12/pidp) didn't have conflict alert function. The C-141 crew didn't see the DHC-7.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N42RA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-7-102
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 58
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-50, 1,174 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Pan Am Express
- Registered owner
- General Electric Credit Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PHL · Philadelphia, PA
- Destination
- JFK · Jamaica, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Registration
- USAF
- Reported as
- Lockheed C-141
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 63-8090
- Engine
- P&W TF33-P-7, 21,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Usaf
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- WRI · Mcguire Afb, NJ
- Destination
- WRI
- Flight plan
- Military VFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N42RA
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,674 total · 4,666 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Certificate
- Military
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.