Northrop T-38A and Airbus Industrie A-310 incident near Washington, District of Columbia, May 15, 1989
On May 15, 1989 at about 10:41 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Northrop T-38A (N920NS) and Airbus Industrie A-310 (N806PA), were involved in the same incident near Washington, District of Columbia. No one was hurt; 177 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (T-38 PILOT) TO FOLLOW THE ATC CLEARANCE AND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) PERSONNEL TO RECOGNIZE THE T-38'S IMPROPER ALTITUDE IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND ATC PERSONNEL'S DELAY IN INITIATING CORRCTIVE ACTION.
FAILURE OF THE T-38 PILOT (IN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT) TO FOLLOW THE ATC CLEARANCE AND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) PERSONNEL TO RECOGNIZE THE T-38'S IMPROPER ALTITUDE IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND ATC PERSONNEL'S DELAY IN INITIATING CORRECTIVE ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1989 · about 10:41 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 177 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft 1
- Northrop T-38A · all T-38As on the register
- Registration
- N920NS · registry record · serial 66-8386
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Airbus Industrie A-310 A310
- Registration
- N806PA · registry record · serial 342
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Northrop T-38A final · quoted from the NTSB record
NASA T-38, N920NS, WAS INBND (HDG EAST) ON A FINKS ONE ARRIVAL TO ANDREWS AFB WITH CLNC TO DSCND TO 8000'. IN THE SAME AREA, PAN AM FLT 140 (AIRBUS A310/N806PA) WAS HDG NORTH AT 7000' AFTER DEPG DULLES (IAD) IAP. THE AIRBUS WAS HANDLED BY IAD APCH CTL. THE T-38 WAS HANDLED BY WASHINGTON (DCA) APCH CTL. THE T-38 PLT DSCNDD THRU 8000' & RPRTD AT 7000'. AT 1ST THE DCA CTLR DIDN'T REALIZE THE T-38 WAS AT THE WRONG ALT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CONFLICT ALERT ALARMED & THE DCA CTLR ISSUED A TFC ADZY. THE T-38 PLT IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED TO 8000', BUT BEFORE HE CLIMBED, RADAR DATA INDCD THE AIRBUS & T-38 PASSED EACH OTR WITH 711' LATERAL CLNC & 100' VERTICAL CLNC. THE AIRBUS PLT STATED HE SAW THE T-38 PASS AHEAD FM LEFT TO RGT. THE IAD CONTROLLER DID NOTICE TFC FOR THE AIRBUS, BUT HE DID NOT ISSUE A TFC ADZRY. ALSO, HE SAID HIS CONFLICT ALERT SYS DID NOT ALARM; COMPUTER DATA INDCD THE ALARM HAD OPERATED.
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 Airbus Industrie A-310 final · quoted from the NTSB record
NASA T-38, N920NS, WAS INBND (HDG EAST) ON A FINKS ONE ARRIVAL TO ANDREWS AFB WITH CLNC TO DSCND TO 8000'. IN THE SAME AREA, PAN AN FLT 140 (AIRBUS A310/N806PA) WAS HDG NORTH AT 7000' AFTER DEPG DULLES (IAD) IAP. THE AIRBUS WAS HANDLED BY IAD APCH CTL. THE T-38 WAS HANDLED BY WASHINGTON (DCA) APCH CTL. THE T-38 PLT DSCNDD THRU 8000' & RPRTD AT 7000'. AT 1ST, THE DCA CTLR DIDN'T REALIZE THE T-38 WAS AT THE WRONG ALT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CONFLICT ALERT ALARMED & THE DCA CTLR ISSUED A TFC ADZY. THE T-38 PLT IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED TO 8000'. BUT BEFORE HE CLIMBED, RADAR DATA INDCD THE AIRBUS & T-38 PASSED EACH OTR WITH 711' LATERAL CLNC & 100' VERTICAL CLNC. THE AIRBUS PLT STATED HE SAW THE T-38 PASS AHEAD FM LEFT TO RGT. THE IAD CONTROLLER DID NOTICE TFC FOR THE AIRBUS, BUT HE DID NOT ISSUE A TFC ADZRY. ALSO, HE SAID HIS CONFLICT ALERT SYS DID NOT ALARM; RECORDED COMPUTER DATA INDCD THE ALARM HAD OPERATED.
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 Northrop T-38A from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,345 hours in all; 2,388 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 11,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge J-85 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOP Ft Campbell KY at 9:41 pm
- Destination: ADW Andrews Afb MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded at 800 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:38 pm from DCA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Airbus Industrie A-310 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: 13,000 hours in all; 1,340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 302,000 lb
- Seats: 265
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Washington DC at 10:35 pm
- Destination: ORY Paris,France OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 10 | |||
| Passengers | 166 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO89IA036.