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| Date: | Monday 15 May 1989 |
| Time: | 18:41 LT |
| Type: |  Northrop T-38A Talon |
| Owner/operator: | National Aero. & Space Admin. |
| Registration: | N920NS |
| MSN: | N.5956 |
| Engine model: | P&W JT9D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | near Washington D.C. -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Campbell Army Airfield, KY (HOP/KHOP) |
| Joint Base Andrews, MD (ADW/KADW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
NASA T-38A, 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 T38 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.
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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB BFO89IA036
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Mar-2024 07:22 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 10-Sep-2025 06:15 | nhofmann54 | Updated [Time, Cn, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
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