- Date
- October 16, 1991, 21:07 local (Oct 17, 1991, 01:07 UTC)
- Place
- Newark, NJ
- Injuries
- 36 minor, 134 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N498AAMcdonnell Douglas MD-80N7385FBoeing 737-291
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19911016051121I19911016051122I
- Case key
- 37040
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the crew of the B-737, N7385F, to maintain adequate visual lookout while taxiing, and failure by air traffic controllers to provide traffic information and/or issue warnings to either flightcrew. A factor was the after-landing task saturation of both flightcrews.
Failure of the crew of the B-737, N7385F, to maintain adequate visual lookout while taxiing, and failure by air traffic controllers to provide traffic information and/or issue warnings to either flightcrew. A factor was the after-landing task saturation of both flightcrews.
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
Both airplanes landed in sequence on runway 4R, and were proceeding to their respective gates. The American MD-80 landed first. The Continental Boeing 737 was told to cross runway 4L and contact ground after crossing. The collision occurred at the intersection of taxiways 'r' and 'k'. Both flight crews were occupied with cockpit duties and did not see each other prior to the collision. Neither crew received traffic information or a warning from ATC prior to the impact. The ATC specialists in the tower were distracted by a maintenance airplane taxing near runway 11. The local and ground controllers said they thought the airplanes would not collide, so they did not issue a warning or traffic information. The accident happened on a clear night and weather was not a factor.
Both airplanes landed in sequence on runway 4R, and were proceeding to their respective gates. The American MD-80 landed first. The Continental Boeing 737 was told to cross runway 4L and contact ground after crossing. The collision occcurred at the intersection of taxiways 'r' and 'k'. Both flight crews were occupied with cockpit duties and did not see each other prior to the collision. Neither crew received traffic information or a warning from ATC prior to the impact. The ATC specialists in the tower were distracted by a maintenance airplane taxing near runway 11. The local and ground controllers said they thought the airplanes would not collide, so they did not issue a warning or traffic information. The accident happened on a clear night and weather was not a factor.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N498AA
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49736
- Airframe hours
- 6,034
- Engine
- P&W JT8-217-C, 20,850 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- American Airlines, Inc., doing business as American Airlines
- Registered owner
- Wilmington Trust Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- RDU · Raleigh/Durham, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EWR · Newark Intl
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.
- Registration
- N7385F
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-291
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21069
- Airframe hours
- 44,541
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Continental Airlines
- Registered owner
- P.C. Flowers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 7, 1991 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- PIT · Pittsburg, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EWR · Newark Intl, runway 4R, 9,300 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N498AA
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 3,146 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N7385F
- Age
- 57
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 19,993 total · 198 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 20° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWR, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.