- Date
- April 23, 1989, 17:49 local (21:49 UTC)
- Place
- New York, NY
- Injuries
- 208 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N247CBCessna 421CN553PEBoeing 727-227
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 36314
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 liberty sector controller to advise pan am flight 542 of the presence of the Cessna 421 and/or restrict the climb of flight 542 until it had passed the Cessna, and failure of the pan am aircrew to see the Cessna in adequate time to avoid a near collision.
Failure of the liberty sector controller to advise pan am flight 542 of the presence of the Cessna 421 and/or restrict the climb of flight 542 until it had passed the Cessna, and failure of the pan am aircrew to see the Cessna in adequate time to avoid a near collision.
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
A Cessna 421, N247CB, was receiving radar advisories from New York TRACON while proceeding westbournd at 10,500 ft. at about the same time, pan am flt 542 (Boeing 727, N553PE) was proceeding northeast at 10,000 ft with an IFR clnc. At 1744:32 EDT, the liberty sector ctlr gave the Cessna plt a freq change to the laguardia sector, which was the next sector to the west; he then changed the Cessna 421'S data block to a limited data block. At 1748, flt 542 was given a freq change from the laguardia sector to the liberty sector. At 1749:04, before the two acft had passed each other, the liberty sector ctlr clrd flt 542 to climb to 17,000 ft & to turn to a hdg of 080 deg. The Cessna plt had been given a traffic advisory (by the laguardia ctlr) & was watching flt 542. When the Cessna plt realized flt 542 had started to climb, he pulled up to avoid a collision. At about the same time, one of the plts of flt 542 saw the Cessna & pushed the nose of his acft down for evasive action.
A Cessna 421, N247CB, was receiving radar advisories from New York TRACON while proceeding westbound at 10,500 ft. at about the same time, pan am flt 542 (Boeing 727, N553PE) was proceeding northeast at 10,000 ft with an IFR clnc. At 1744:32 EDT, the liberty sector ctlr gave the Cessna plt a freq change to the laguardia sector, which was the next sector to the west; he then changed the Cessna 421'S data block to a limited data block. At 1748, flt 542 was given a freq change from the laguardia sector to the liberty sector. At 1749:04, before the two acft had passed each other, the liberty sector ctlr clrd flt 542 to climb to 17,000 ft & to turn to a hdg of 080 deg. The Cessna plt had been given a traffic advisory (by the laguardia ctlr) & was watching flt 542. When the Cessna plt realized flt 542 had started to climb, he pulled up to avoid a collision. At about the same time, one of the plts of flt 542 saw the Cessna & pushed the nose of his acft down for evasive action.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N247CB
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C0299
- Airframe hours
- 4,330
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bun Air Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 15, 1989 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- HVN · New Haven, CT
- Destination
- 4G9 · Bedford, PA
- Registration
- N553PE
- Reported as
- Boeing 727-227
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20774
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Pan American
- Registered owner
- Continental Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LGA · New York, NY
- Destination
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N247CB
- Age
- 27
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,100 total · 240 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 153 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N553PE
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JFK, 23 nm away