Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 and Boeing 707-300 incident near Yardley, Pennsylvania, October 12, 1988
On October 12, 1988 at about 6:35 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 (N17810) and Boeing 707-300 (AF1), were involved in the same incident near Yardley, Pennsylvania. No one was hurt; 39 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
- October 12, 1988 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Yardley, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 39 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 ATR 42-300
- Registration
- N17810 · no longer on the register · serial 093
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 707-300 · all 707-300s on the register
- Registration
- AF1 · no longer on the register · serial 27000
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · military rules
The NTSB's narrative for the Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR TKOF, CORRECTED FLT PLN WAS PUT IN ATC COMPUTER FOR AIR FORCE 1 (AF1) TO TAKE NONSTANDARD RTE TO NEWARK. AFTER TKOF,AF1 WAS VCTRD NW WITH HANDOFF TO NY ARTCC (ZNY), THEN EAST VIA YARDLEY (ARD) TO NEWARK; 15 MI WEST OF ARD, ZNY INITIATEDHANDOFF TO NY TRACON (N90). TRACON SUPVR ADZD ZNY THAT AF1 SHLD BE DSNDG TO 9000' DRG HANDOFF, THEN N90 CTLR TLD WASH ARTCC (ZDC) CTLR IN ADJ SECTOR TO 'STOP THE NEWARK ARRIVALS ONLY.' ZNY CTLR CLRD AF1 TO DSCND & CHG TO N90 FREQ, BUT W/OGIVING ZDC MANDATORY POINTOUT OF AF1. MEANWHILE, BAR HARBOR FLT 494 WAS BEING CTLD BY ZDC & WAS INBND TO ARD ON A NE HDGAT 11,000'. NOTING AN AUTOMATED HANDOFF WAS ACCEPTED BY N90, ZDC CTLR CLRD FLT 494 TO DSCND TO 7000' & CHG TO N90 FREQ.N90 CTLR NOTED DVLPG SITUATION, BUT THOUGHT ALL FLTS FM ZDC SECTOR WLD BE HELD IN ZDC AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTN, BUT STANDARD SEPN BTN ACFT WAS LOST NR BASE OF 10,000' CLD LAYER. INV REVEALED INADEQUATE MONITORING & COORDINATION BTN ATC FACILITIES; SVRL CONTROLLERS & SUPVRS LACKED TRNG OR AWARENESS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
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 707-300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR TKOF, CORRECTED FLT PLAN WAS PUT IN ATC COMPUTER FOR AIRFORCE 1 (AF1) TO TAKE NONSTANDARD RTE TO NEWARK. AFTER TKOF,AF1 WAS VCTRD NW WITH HANDOFF TO NY ARTCC (ZNY), THEN EAST VIA YARDLEY (ARD) TO NEWARK; 15 MI WEST OF ARD, ZNY INITIATEDHANDOFF TO NY TRACON (N90). TRACON SUPVR ADZD ZNY THAT AF1 SHLD BE DSCNDG TO 9000' DRG HANDOFF, THEN N90 CTLR TLD WASH ARTCC (ZDC) CTLR IN ADJ SECTOR TO 'STOP THE NEWARK ARRIVALS ONLY.' ZNY CTLR CLRD AF1 TO DSCND & CHG TO N90 FREQ, BUT W/OGIVING ZDC MANDATORY POINTOUT OF AF1. MEANWHILE, BAR HARBOR FLT 494 WAS BEING CTLD BY ZDC & WAS INBND TO ARD ON A NE HDGAT 11,000'. NOTING AN AUTOMATED HANDOFF WAS ACCEPTED BY N90, ZDC CTLR CLRD FLT 494 TO DSCND TO 7000' & CHG TO N90 FREQ.N90 CTLR NOTED DVLPG SITUATION, BUT THOUGHT ALL FLTS FM ZDC SECTOR WLD BE HELD IN ZDC AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTN, BUT STANDARD SEPN BTN ACFT WAS LOST NR BASE OF 10,000' CLD LAYER. INV REVEALED INADEQUATE MONITORING & COORDINATION BTN ATC FACILITIES; SVRL CONTROLLERS & SUPVRS LACKED TRNG OR AWARENESS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
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 Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,260 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 898 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 24, 1988; 137 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 40,000 lb
- Seats: 50
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW120 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD at 6:07 pm
- Destination: EWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 33 |
The factual record for the Boeing 707-300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 328,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT3D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA
- Destination: EWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.