# NTSB NYC87IA227: Boeing 747, N93109, New York, NY, August 9, 1987 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: August 9, 1987, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC) - Place: New York, NY - Location: 40.7143° N, 74.0060° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of New York, NY, within about 10 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7143&lon=-74.0060&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 528 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 10, 1989 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Safety recommendations: Yes - NTSB case key (mKey): 30534 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC87IA227 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30534/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC87IA227 ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Near collision between aircraft, approach - iaf to faf/outer marker (ifr) - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(dep/apch) (cause) - information unclear(phraseology), atc personnel(dep/apch) (contributing factor) - correcting lenses, not worn, atc personnel(dep/apch) (contributing factor) - weather condition - clouds (contributing factor) - visual lookout - restricted - Near collision between aircraft, approach - iaf to faf/outer marker (ifr) - ifr separation standards - not maintained, atc personnel(dep/apch) (cause) - information unclear(phraseology), atc personnel(dep/apch) (contributing factor) - correcting lenses, not worn, atc personnel(dep/apch) (contributing factor) - weather condition - clouds (contributing factor) - visual lookout - restricted ## Analysis (aircraft 2) ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS (TWA FLTS 843H & 834; BOEING 747 & BOEING 727) APCHD JFK INTL ARPT FOR LDG. FLT 843H WAS 22MIN LATE & FLT 834 WAS 12 MIN EARLY, CAUSING SAME ARR TIME. NY TRACON VCTRD FLT 834 BHND FLT 843H. WHILE CTLG THE ACFT, JFK FINAL CTLR, INADVERTENTLY TRANSPOSED FLT NUMBERS & GAVE A VCTR FOR FLT '834H' (INTENDED FOR FLT 843H) TO TURN FINAL FOR A VOR RWY 13L APCH. FLT 843H DIDN'T READILY DETECT THE ERROR & CONTD ITS LAST ASSIGNED HDG OF 300 DEG. ABT 72 SEC LTR, FLT 843H QUERIED THE CTLR, BUT BY THAT TIME, THE CTLR NOTED HIS ERROR & GAVE FLT 843H A TURN TO REVERSE DRCTN. HOW-EVER, FLT 843H HAD ENTERED LAGUARDIA AIRSPACE & CONVERGED ON ANOTHER ACFT (PAN AM FLT 537), BOTH AT 3000'. FLT 537 WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 4 APCH TO LAGUARDIA ON ANOTHER FREQ. NOTING THE ACFT WERE CONVERGING, THE CTLRS TOLD EACH RESPECTIVE FLT TO CLIMB (WHILE THEY ATMTD TO RESOLVE THE PRBLM). FLT 537 CAME OUT OF CLDS; THE CREW SAW THE OTR ACFT, TOOK EVASIVE ACTN & PASSED WITH ABT 600' SEPN. THE JFK CTLR HAD 20/80 VISION, BUT WASN'T WEARING GLASSES AS REQUIRED. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: [N93109](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N93109-1998-10-05), registration cancelled 1998-10-05, S/N 19675 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BOEING 747 - Registry model: [Boeing 747-131](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-747-131) (registry code 1384881) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 19675 - Engines: P&W JT9D 45800 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Trans World Airlines - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: MXP, MILAN,ITALY, OF - Destination: JFK, NEW YORK, NY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LGA, Laguardia, runway 13L, 10,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: N558PE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BOEING 727 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20840 - Engines: P&W JT8D 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Pan American - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: BOS, BOSTON, MA - Destination: LGA, NEW YORK, NY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LGA, Laguardia, runway 4, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N93109; age 57; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 25,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 8 in the last 24 hours - Pilot, aircraft N558PE; age 50; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 17,500 total, 11,000 in this make and model, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Temperature: -0 °F, dew point -0 °F ## Other investigations on N93109 (1) 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. - [NTSB NYC71IN052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC71IN052), Oct 26, 1970: Boeing 747 (N93109), Bradford, IL, incident, minor damage 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.