Northrop T-38A N920NS
15 May 1989 · Washington, District of Columbia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 May 1989 at about 22:41 local time, a Northrop T-38A registered N920NS was involved in an incident near Washington, District of Columbia, United States. 177 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:41
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Northrop T-38A
- Registration
- N920NS
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ft Campbell → Andrews Afb
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO89IA036
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 177 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 177 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (T-38 PILOT) TO FOLLOW THE ATC CLEARANCE AND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) PERSONNEL TO RECOGNIZE THE T-38'S IMPROPER ALTITUDE IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND ATC PERSONNEL'S DELAY IN INITIATING CORRCTIVE ACTION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
NASA T-38, N920NS, WAS INBND (HDG EAST) ON A FINKS ONE ARRIVAL TO ANDREWS AFB WITH CLNC TO DSCND TO 8000'. IN THE SAME AREA, PAN AM FLT 140 (AIRBUS A310/N806PA) WAS HDG NORTH AT 7000' AFTER DEPG DULLES (IAD) IAP. THE AIRBUS WAS HANDLED BY IAD APCH CTL. THE T-38 WAS HANDLED BY WASHINGTON (DCA) APCH CTL. THE T-38 PLT DSCNDD THRU 8000' & RPRTD AT 7000'. AT 1ST THE DCA CTLR DIDN'T REALIZE THE T-38 WAS AT THE WRONG ALT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CONFLICT ALERT ALARMED & THE DCA CTLR ISSUED A TFC ADZY. THE T-38 PLT IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED TO 8000', BUT BEFORE HE CLIMBED, RADAR DATA INDCD THE AIRBUS & T-38 PASSED EACH OTR WITH 711' LATERAL CLNC & 100' VERTICAL CLNC. THE AIRBUS PLT STATED HE SAW THE T-38 PASS AHEAD FM LEFT TO RGT. THE IAD CONTROLLER DID NOTICE TFC FOR THE AIRBUS, BUT HE DID NOT ISSUE A TFC ADZRY. ALSO, HE SAID HIS CONFLICT ALERT SYS DID NOT ALARM; COMPUTER DATA INDCD THE ALARM HAD OPERATED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop T-38A T-38A | N920NS | - | - |
| Airbus A-310 A310 | N806PA | - | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1988 | Cessna 310R | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | Calypso Airways | No injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 1988 | Swearingen SA-226T | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | John T. Rocca | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1990 | Boeing B-727-29 | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | Trump Shuttle Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 1990 | Boeing B-737 | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | United Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1988 | Cessna T210R | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 1987 | Boeing 727-225 | Washington, District of Columbia, United States | Eastern Air Lines | No injuries | - |