Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 and Boeing 727 incident near Adak, Alaska, November 10, 1986
On November 10, 1986 at about 8:54 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 (CGCPJ) and Boeing 727 (N832), were involved in the same incident near Adak, Alaska. No one was hurt; 201 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 1986 · about 8:54 pm local time
- Place
- Adak, Alaska
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 201 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 · all DC-10s on the register
- Registration
- CGCPJ · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 727 · all 727s on the register
- Registration
- N832 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CANADIAN PACIFIC MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10 (FLT 3), CG-CPJ, & A REEVE ALEUTIAN BOEING 727 (FLT 724), N832, WERE CLRD TO FLY AT FL 290 ON 2 DIFFERENT AIRWAYS. THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM INTXN, OVR THE BEARING SEA. WHILE TRAVELING IN NRLY OPPOSITE DRCTNS AT THE SAME ALT, THE 2 ACFT PASSED W/I APRX 1/2 MI OF EACH OTHER, WHERE THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM. THE DC-10 CREW SAW THE B-727, BUT THE B-727 CREW DID NOT SEE THE DC-10. PICUM INTXN WAS LOCATED IN AN AREA THAT WAS BYD NORMAL RADIO & RADAR RANGE OF THE ATC CONTROLLERS (CTLRS). THE 2 ON DUTY CTLRS HAD COMBINED SECTORS 10 & 11, THEN HAD DIVIDED THE 2 SECTORS IN A NORTH/SOUTH CONFIGURATION, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO SOP. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DRG A BUSY TIME. THE SUPVR WAS HELPING 1 OF THE 2 CTLRS. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 3, CLRD IT TO DSCND FM FL 330 TO FL 290 & SAID HE TOLD THE OTHER CTLR TO STOP FLT 724 AT FL 280, WHEN FLT 724 WAS CLIMBING FM A LWR ALT. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 724, STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN ACFT AT FL 290 WHEN HE CLRD FLT 724 TO FL 290.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CANADIAN PACIFIC MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10 (FLT 3), CG-CPJ, & A REEVE ALEUTIAN BOEING 727 (FLT 724), N832, WERE CLRD TO FLY AT FL 290 ON 2 DIFFERENT AIRWAYS. THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM INTXN, OVR THE BEARING SEA. WHILE TRAVELING IN NRLY OPPOSITE DRCTNS AT THE SAME ALT, THE 2 ACFT PASSED W/I APRX 1/2 MI OF EACH OTHER, WHERE THE AIRWAYS CROSSED AT PICUM. THE DC-10 CREW SAW THE B-727, BUT THE B-727 CREW DID NOT SEE THE DC-10. PICUM INTXN WAS LOCATED IN AN AREA THAT WAS BYD NORMAL RADIO & RADAR RANGE OF THE ATC CONTROLLERS (CTLRS). THE 2 ON DUTY CTLRS HAD COMBINED SECTORS 10 & 11, THEN HAD DIVIDED THE 2 SECTORS IN A NORTH/SOUTH CONFIGURATION, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO SOP. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DRG A BUSY TIME. THE SUPVR WAS HELPING 1 OF THE 2 CTLRS. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 3, CLRD IT TO DSCND FM FL 330 TO FL 290 & SAID HE TOLD THE OTHER CTLR TO STOP FLT 724 AT FL 280, WHEN FLT 724 WAS CLIMBING FM A LWR ALT. THE CTLR, WHO WAS HNDLG FLT 724, STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN ACFT AT FL 290 WHEN HE CLRD FLT 724 TO FL 290.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 500,000 lb
- Seats: 325
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YVR Vancouvr,Canada
- Destination: NRT Tokyo, Japan
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 58 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 13 | |||
| Passengers | 147 |
The factual record for the Boeing 727 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,950 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 225
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SYA Shemya AK
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 36 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.