Boeing 737 and Embraer incident near Riga, Lv, October 20, 2012
On October 20, 2012 at about 11:50 am local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737 and Embraer, were involved in the same incident near Riga. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
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 20, 2012 · about 11:50 am local time
- Place
- Riga, Latvia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737 8 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- not recorded
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft 2
- Embraer
- Registration
- not recorded
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737 preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 20, 2012, about 1150 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a loss of separation occurred when a Boeing operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and an Embraer operated by Finnair came within 4.2 nautical miles laterally and 700 feet vertically of each other in the vicinity of point ATRAK near Riga, Latvia. The incident is being investigated by the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau (TAIIB) of the Republic of Latvia. Inquiries regarding this incident should be directed to: Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau Brivibas Street 58, Room 209 LV-1011 Riga Latvia
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 Embraer preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 20, 2012 about 1150 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a loss of separation occurred when a Boeing operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and an Embraer operated by Finnair came within 4.2 nautical miles laterally and 700 feet vertically of each other in the vicinity of point ATRAK near Riga, Latvia. The incident is being investigated by the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau (TAIIB) of the Republic of Latvia. Inquiries regarding this incident should be directed to: Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau Brivibas Street 58, Room 209 LV-1011 Riga Latvia
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Klm Royal Dutch Airlines
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
The factual record for the Embraer from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during enroute
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
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.