Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 and Piper PA-28R incident near Baltimore, Maryland, December 5, 1987
On December 5, 1987 at about 6:45 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (N924L) and Piper PA-28R (N9418N), were involved in the same incident near Baltimore, Maryland. No one was hurt; 7 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
- December 5, 1987 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 · all DC-9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N924L · registry record · serial 47324
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper PA-28R · all PA-28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9418N · no longer on the register · serial 28R-35130
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWA FLT 388 (DC-9, N924L) WAS IN CLOUDS CLIMBING TO 7000' WHEN BALTIMORE (BWI) TRACON ADZD THAT AN ACFT (PIPER PA-28R) WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD AT 3 MI DSCNDG FM 6700'. FLT 388 HAD PASSED 6000' & THE CAPT REQUESTED A TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE VECTOR. THE TRACON CTLR INSTRUCTED FLT 388 TO LVL AT 6000' & TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS, BUT BY THAT TIME, FLT 388 WAS AT 6400'. AS FLT 388 WAS TURNING LEFT, IT BROKE OUT OF CLOUD TOPS & THE AIRCREW SAW THE PIPER PA-28 AT THEIR ONE O'CLOCK POSITION. THE TWA CREW TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. THE TWA CAPT SAID THE PIPER PA-28 PASSED APRX 500' TO 1000' LATERALLY WITH NO VERTICALSEPARATION. THE PIPER PILOT SAID HE SAW FLT 388 AS IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUD TOP IN A LEFT TURN. HE ESTIMATED THAT FLT 388 PASSED WITH APRX 3/4 MI SEPARATION. THE PIPER WAS VFR & FLT 388 WAS IFR & FLYING IN THE BWI ARSA. THE PLTS OF BOTH ACFT WERE IN CTC WITH BWI TRACON, BUT THEY WERE ON DIFFERENT RADIO FREQS & WERE BEING HANDLED BY DIFFERENT CTLRS. FLT 388 WAS BEING HANDLED BY A TRAINEE CTLR.
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 Piper PA-28R final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWA FLT 388 (DC-9, N924L) WAS IN CLOUDS CLIMBING TO 7000' WHEN BALTIMORE (BWI) TRACON ADZD THAT AN ACFT (PIPER PA-28R) WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD AT 3 MI DSCNDG FM 6700'. FLT 388 HAD PASSED 6000' & THE CAPT REQUESTED A TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE VECTOR. THE TRACON CTLR INSTRUCTED FLT 388 TO LVL AT 6000' & TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS, BUT BY THAT TIME, FLT 388 WAS AT 6400'. AS FLT 388 WAS TURNING LEFT, IT BROKE OUT OF CLOUD TOPS & THE AIRCREW SAW THE PIPER PA-28 AT THEIR ONE O'CLOCK POSITION. THE TWA CREW TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. THE TWA CAPT SAID THE PIPER PA028 PASSED APRX 500' TO 1000' LATERALLY WITH NO VERTICALSEPARATION. THE PIPER PILOT SAID HE SAW FLT 388 AS IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUD TOP IN A LEFT TURN. HE ESTIMATED THAT FLT 388 PASSED WITH APRX 3/4 MI SEPARATION. THE PIPER WAS VFR & FLT 388 WAS IFR & FLYING IN THE BWI ARSA. THE PLTS OF BOTH ACFT WERE IN CTC WITH BWI TRACON, BUT THEY WERE ON DIFFERENT RADIO FREQS & WERE BEING HANDLED BY DIFFERENT CTLRS. FLT 388 WAS BEING HANDLED BY A TRAINEE CTLR.
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-9-32 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 111,000 lb
- Seats: 127
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD at 6:40 pm
- Destination: HAR Harrisburg PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from BWI, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
The factual record for the Piper PA-28R from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 637 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNS Lancaster PA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: CGS College Park MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.