Boeing 727-22 and Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 incident near Washington, District of Columbia, September 3, 1984
On September 3, 1984 at about 7:18 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 727-22 (N7078U) and Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 (N780JA), were involved in the same incident near Washington, District of Columbia (National airport). No one was hurt; 81 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
- September 3, 1984 · about 7:18 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia · National · map
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 81 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 727-22 · all 727-22s on the register
- Registration
- N7078U · registry record · serial 19142
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80
- Registration
- N780JA · registry record · serial 49126
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727-22 final · quoted from the NTSB record
MISHAP ACFT, NEW YORK AIR FLIGHT 306 (NYA 306) FOLLOWED A BOEING 727, UNITED FLIGHT 827 (UAL 827), TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND POSITIONED IN THE #2 SPOT FOR TAKEOFF, ANTICIPATING UAL 827 WOULD RECEIVE TAKEOFF CLEARANCE FIRST. NYA 306 WAS CLEARED FIRST FOR TAKEOFF INSTEAD AND PLT INITIATED A HARD RIGHT TURN BUT ACFT WAS NOT IN POSITION TO PASS CLEAR. NYA 306 LEFT WING TIP STRUCK TRAILING EDGE OF UAL 827 RIGHT WING.
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 MD-80 final · quoted from the NTSB record
MISHAP ACFT, NEW YORK AIR FLIGHT 306 (NYA 306) FOLLOWED A BOEING 727, UNITED FLIGHT 827 (UAL 827), TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND POSITIONED IN THE #2 SPOT FOR TAKEOFF, ANTICIPATING UAL 827 WOULD RECEIVE TAKEOFF CLEARANCE FIRST. NYA 306 WAS CLEARED FIRST FOR TAKEOFF INSTEAD AND PLT INITIATED A HARD RIGHT TURN BUT ACFT WAS NOT IN POSITION TO PASS CLEAR. NYA 306 LEFT WING TIP STRUCK TRAILING EDGE OF UAL 827 RIGHT WING.
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 727-22 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 7,611 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42,602 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from DCA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 32 |
The factual record for the Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,915 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 1,971 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 140,000 lb
- Seats: 147
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-D-217 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: New York Air
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC
- Destination: EWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| 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.