Serious incident Boeing 727-251 N386PA,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 369574
 
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Date:Sunday 6 November 1988
Time:12:03 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic B722 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing 727-251
Owner/operator:Pan American World Airways
Registration: N386PA
MSN: 19973/665
Engine model:P&W JT8D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 53
Aircraft damage: None
Category:Serious incident
Location:Houston, TX -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA)
Destination airport:Houston-William P. Hobby Airport, TX (HOU/KHOU)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
DRG A GILCO ONE ARRIVAL (STAR), PAN AMERICAN FLT 511 WAS CLRD BY HOUSTON APCH CTL TO DSCND & MAINT 6000'. AS FLT 511 WASINBOUND (TRAVELING WEST) ON THE STAR AT 6000' & 250 KTS, IT CONVERGED WITH A CESSNA 172 OR 182 ABOUT 10 MI EAST OF THE ARPT. THE CESSNA WAS ON A WNW COURSE AT 6000' NEAR THE ARPT SERVICE AREA (ARSA). AS THE 2 ACFT WERE CONVERGING, THE FLT ENGINEER IDENTIFIED THE CESSNA AHEAD & THE CAPT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY TURNING LEFT. FLT 511 PASSED THE CESSNA WITH AN ESTIMATED 100 YDS OF SEPN. THE CESSNA PLT WAS NOT IN RADIO COMMUNIATION WITH APCH CTL, NOR WAS HOUSTON RADAR RCVG A TRANSPONDER REPLY FROM THE CESSNA. THE UPPER LIMIT OF THE ARSA WAS AT 4000' MSL. THE CAPT OF FLT 511 RPRTD A NEAR COLLISION TO THE CTLR. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED & ADVISED HE WAS AWARE OF THE TRAFFIC, BUT JUST DID NOT ISSUE AN ADVISORY. RADAR DATA VERIFIED THAT THE UNIDENTIFIED CESSNA HAD BEEN MANEUVERING IN A BUSY AREA ABOUT 10 MI EAST OF HOUSTON/HOBBY ARPT (ALONG THE GILCO ONE ARRIVAL ROUTE) WITH NO TRANSPONDER DISPLAY.

Probable Cause: POOR PLANNING/DECISION BY THE UNIDENTIFIED CESSNA PILOT BY MANEUVERING IN BUSY AIRSPACE NEAR THE ARSA WITH NO ATC COORDINATION OR TRANSPONDER SIGNAL; NO TRAFFIC ADVISORY BEING ISSUED BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER; AND INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE FLIGHT CREW OF THE BOEING 727. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF AIR/GROUND COMMUNICATION BY THE UNIDENTIFIED PILOT.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: FTW89IA016
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 5 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB FTW89IA016

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
11 July 1988 N254US Northwest Airlines 0 St Paul, MN sub

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Mar-2024 16:01 ASN Update Bot Added

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