- Date
- November 13, 1988, 20:12 local (Nov 14, 1988, 01:12 UTC)
- Place
- Boston, MA
- Injuries
- 144 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N555PEBoeing 727-227N238RPDornier DO-228-202
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881113067679I
- Case key
- 36303
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the local controller to detect the red t on the departure strip on PRE659 when he cleared him into position and hold. Factors related to the accident were: darkness and the lack of positive coordination between the ground controller and local controller.
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
The tower controller cleared pan am flt 543 (Boeing 727, N555PE) into position & hold on rwy 22R, then he cleared the 727 for takeoff. The controller then cleared precision flt 649 (dornier DO-228, N238RP) into position & hold on runway 22R. The controller did not realize the dornier was at an intersection, 4200 ft down the runway, rather than at the approach end. He had failed to notice that the takeoff strip was marked with a red 't' indicating an intersection takeoff. Also, the ground controller did not adequately coordinate with the local controller, when he cleared the dornier to taxi to the intersection for an intersection departure. The 727 flight crew saw the dornier on the runway & made an early rotation, missing the dornier. There was no contact between aircraft or injuries. The 727 flt crew returned for a landing to check the engines, which had been overboosted after maximum power was applied to clear the dornier. The dornier was taxied clear of the runway & back to the ramp to assure there was no damage.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N555PE
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-227
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 36,075
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-7A, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Pan American World Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BOS
- Destination
- LGA · Flushing, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BOS · Boston, runway 222, 7,860 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- N238RP
- Reported as
- Dornier DO-228-202
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8138
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Precision Valley Aviation, Inc, doing business as Precision Airlines
- Registered owner
- State Street Bank & Trust
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 12, 1988 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Destination
- ISP · Islip, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BOS · Boston, runway 22, 7,860 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N555PE
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,425 total · 1,605 as pilot in command · 167 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N238RP
- Age
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, 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
- 5,562 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 4,112 as pilot in command · 241 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BOS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.