Boeing 737-200 and amateur-built DHC-8 incident near Anchorage, Alaska, October 8, 1992
On October 8, 1992 at about 5:39 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737-200 (N673MA) and amateur-built DHC-8 (N680MA), were involved in the same incident near Anchorage, Alaska. No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER ATC CLEARANCE INSTRUCTIONS BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER, RESULTING IN A FAILURE TO INSURE SAFE SEPARATION BETWEEN AN AIRPLANE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS WITH AN AIRPLANE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON CONVERGING COURSES. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED WAS INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO BOTH PILOTS BY THE CONTROLLER.
IMPROPER ATC CLEARANCE INSTRUCTIONS BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER, RESULTING IN A FAILURE TO INSURE SAFE SEPARATION BETWEEN AN AIRPLANE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS WITH AN AIRPLANE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON CONVERGING COURSES. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED WAS INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO BOTH PILOTS BY THE CONTROLLER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1992 · about 5:39 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 26 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737-200 · all 737-200s on the register
- Registration
- N673MA · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built DHC-8
- Registration
- N680MA · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737-200 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DHC-8, N680MA, WAS NORTH BOUND IN RADAR CONTROL APRX 8 NM FROM ANC INTL ARPT, AND WAS PROVIDED VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE B-737, N673MA, NE BOUND ON APCH TO ELMENDORF AFB. THE B-737 WAS IN CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE ADVISORY, AND THE DHC-8 MISTOOK ANOTHER B-737 FOR VISUAL SEPARATION. THE TCAS ALERTED THE FIRST B-737 PILOT OF CLOSE PROXIMITY OF TRAFFIC APPROACHING AT AT HIS 2 O'CLOCK POSITION, AND HE INITIATED A CLIMB IN IMC. A RAPID DESCENT WAS INITIATED BY THE DHC-8 PILOT AFTER SEEING THE B-737 EMERGING FROM THE CLOUDS. THESE EVASIVE ACTIONS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 20 SECS PRIOR TO THE CROSSING OF THE TRACKS OF THE TWO AIRPLANES. ATC CONTROL OF THE CONFLICTING AIRPLANES WAS BY THE SAME POSITION CONTROLLER ON SEPARATE FREQUENCIES. THE B-737 PILOT WAS NOT ADVISED NOR AWARE OF THE DHC-8 BEING PROVIDING VISUAL SEPARATION FROM HIS AIRPLANE PER FAA ORDER 7110.65G UNTIL THE TCAS PULL-UP AND VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE TRAFFIC PASSING UNDER AND IN FRONT.
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 amateur-built DHC-8 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DHC-8, N680MA, WAS NORTH BOUND IN RADAR CONTROL APRX 8 NM FROM ANC INTL ARPT, AND WAS PROVIDED VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE B-737, N673MA, NE BOUND ON APCH TO ELMENDORF AFB. THE B-737 WAS IN CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE ADVISORY, AND THE DHC-8 MISTOOK ANOTHER B-737 FOR VISUAL SEPARATION. THE TCAS ALERTED THE FIRST B-737 PILOT OF CLOSE PROXIMITY OF TRAFFIC APPROACHING AT AT HIS 2 O'CLOCK POSITION, AND HE INITIATED A CLIMB IN IMC. A RAPID DESCENT WAS INITIATED BY THE DHC-8 PILOT AFTER SEEING THE B-737 EMERGING FROM THE CLOUDS. THESE EVASIVE ACTIONS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 20 SECS PRIOR TO THE CROSSING OF THE TRACKS OF THE TWO AIRPLANES. ATC CONTROL OF THE CONFLICTING AIRPLANES WAS BY THE SAME POSITION CONTROLLER ON SEPARATE FREQUENCIES. THE B-737 PILOT WAS NOT ADVISED NOR AWARE OF THE DHC-8 BEING PROVIDING VISUAL SEPARATION FROM HIS AIRPLANE PER FAA ORDER 7110.65G UNTIL THE TCAS PULL-UP AND VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE TRAFFIC PASSING UNDER AND IN FRONT.
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 Boeing 737-200 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 1900
- Maximum gross weight: 103,500 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-9A (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mark Air, INC
The flight
- Departed from: AKN King Salmon AK at 11:20 am
- Destination: EDF Elmendorf Afb AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from ANC, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
The factual record for the amateur-built DHC-8 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 1900
- Maximum gross weight: 30,500 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mark Air INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ADQ Kodiak AK at 11:20 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 15 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N673MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.