Boeing 737-200 and Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 incident near Nasville, Tennessee, March 21, 1986
On March 21, 1986 at about 8:06 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737-200 (N774N) and Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 (AFNG), were involved in the same incident near Nasville, Tennessee. No one was hurt; 131 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
- March 21, 1986 · about 8:06 pm local time
- Place
- Nasville, Tennessee
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 131 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737-200 · all 737-200s on the register
- Registration
- N774N · no longer on the register · serial 21975
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Mcdonnell Douglas F-4
- Registration
- AFNG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737-200 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A NR MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED APRX 38 MI SE OF THE NASHVILLE METRO ARPT AS A BOEING 737, PIEDMONT FLT 488, WAS DSCNDG THRU APRX 12,000' & A FLT OF 4 F-4'S, CALL SIGN PEACH 41, WERE JOINING. FLT 488 WAS INBND TO NASHVILLE ON AN IFR CLNC & MEMPHIS ARTCC HAD CLRD IT TO DSCND TO 6000'. PEACH 41 HAD JUST COMPLETED A LOW-LVL HI-SPD FLT ON MIL TRNG ROUTE VR-1051.THE 1ST ELEMENT (#1 & #2) BGN A LEFT CLIMBING TURN FOR THE TRAILING ELEMENT (#3 & #4) TO JOIN & CALLED ARTCC FOR AN IFR CLNC. ARTCC TOLD PEACH 41 TO MAINT VFR & ADVISED BOTH FLTS OF EACH OTHER'S PSN. FLT 488 HAD SEEN THE F-4'S & WAS CLRD TODEVIATE TO THE LEFT. PEACH 41 LEADER OBTAINED RADAR CONTACT WITH FLT 488 & CLIMBED ABV 13,000'. THE 2ND ELEMENT OF F-4'SSAW FLT 488 & REMAINED LOW TO PASS UNDER THE AIRLINER. THE CREW OF FLT 488 DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION; THEY RPRTD 'NO ROOM EXISTED FOR US TO MANEUVER OUT OF THEIR FLIGHT PATH.'
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 Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A NR MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED APRX 38 MI SE OF THE NASHVILLE METRO ARPT AS A BOEING 737, PIEDMONT FLT 488, WAS DSCNDG THRU APRX 12,000' & A FLT OF 4 F-4'S, CALL SIGN PEACH 41, WERE JOINING. FLT 488 WAS INBND TO NASHVILLE ON AN IFR CLNC & MEMPHIS ARTCC HAD CLRD IT TO DSCND TO 6000'. PEACH 41 HAD JUST COMPLETED A LOW-LVL HI-SPD FLT ON MIL TRNG ROUTE VR-1051.THE 1ST ELEMENT (#1 & #2) BGN A LEFT CLIMBING TURN FOR THE TRAILING ELEMENT (#3 & #4) TO JOIN & CALLED ARTCC FOR AN IFR CLNC. ARTCC TOLD PEACH 41 TO MAINT VFR & ADVISED BOTH FLTS OF EACH OTHER'S PSN. FLT 488 HAD SEEN THE F-4'S & WAS CLRD TODEVIATE TO THE LEFT. PEACH 41 LEADER OBTAINED RADAR CONTACT WITH FLT 488 & CLIMBED ABV 13,000'. THE 2ND ELEMENT OF F-4'SAW FLT 488 & REMAINED LOW TO PASS UNDER THE AIRLINER. THE CREW OF FLT 488 DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION; THEY RPRTD 'NO ROOM EXISTED FOR US TO MANEUVER OUT OF THEIR FLIGHT PATH.'
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 115,000 lb
- Seats: 124
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:49 pm from BNA, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 118 |
The factual record for the Mcdonnell Douglas F-4 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 58,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge J-79 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Georgia Air National Guard
The flight
- Departed from: MGE Marietta GA at 6:19 pm
- Destination: MGE Marietta GA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 |
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.