Serious incident Dassault Falcon 50 N52DC, Tuesday 31 March 1987

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Date:	Tuesday 31 March 1987
Time:	16:57 LT
Type:	Dassault Falcon 50
Owner/operator:	Dow Chemical
Registration:	N52DC
MSN:	51
Engine model:	AIRESEARCH TFE 731-3-1C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Cleveland, OH - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Executive
Departure airport:	Saginaw, MI (KMBS)
Destination airport:	Washington, DC (DCA
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AN OPNL ERROR DEVELOPED AS A FALCON 50, N52DC, WAS PROCEEDING SE TOWARD THE DRYER VOR AT FL290 & NORTHWEST FLT 427 WAS PROCEEDING WESTBOUND AT THE SAME ALT TOWARD THE SAME FIX (DRYER VOR). WHEN THE FULL PERFORMANCE LVL (FPL) CONTROLLER (CTLR) SAW THE SITUATION DEVELOPING, HE PROVIDED AVOIDANCE VECTORS TO EACH ACFT. HOWEVER, THEY PASSED EACH OTHER WITH ABOUT 1.5 MI HORIZONTAL SEPN & 800' VERTICAL SEPN. THE WORKLOAD HAD BECOME HEAVY & COMPLEX JUST PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE. AS THE TRACKER WAS NOTIFYING THE FPL CTLR OF THE CONFLICT, THE CONFLICT ALERT WAS ACTIVATED.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: