Boeing VC-137B-BN and Cessna 310J incident near Akron, Ohio, September 30, 1984
On September 30, 1984 at about 9:58 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing VC-137B-BN (USAF) and Cessna 310J (N3057L), were involved in the same incident near Akron, Ohio. No one was hurt; 47 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 30, 1984 · about 9:58 pm local time
- Place
- Akron, Ohio · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 47 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing VC-137B-BN
- Registration
- USAF · no longer on the register · serial 17926
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 310J · all 310Js on the register
- Registration
- N3057L · no longer on the register · serial 310J0075
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing VC-137B-BN final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BOEING VC-137B-BW, USAF #58-6971, OPERATING AS AIR FORCE 2 (AF-2), DEPARTED CLEVELAND, OH, AT ABOUT 1745 EDT ON AN IFR CLEARANCE. AFTER DEPARTING CLEVELAND, AF-2 WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 8000 FT MSL BY CLEVELAND DEPARTURE CONTROL & WAS TRANSFERED TO CLEVELAND ARTCC. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH CLEVELAND ARTCC, AF-2 WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB TO FLT LEVEL 230. A CESSNA 310J, N3057L, WAS CRUISING IN THE SAME VICINITY ON AN IFR CLEARANCE AT 13,000 FT & WAS ALSO UNDER CONTROL OF CLEVELAND ARTCC. AS AF-2 WAS CLIMBING THRU 12,200, ARTCC'S ATC COMPUTER CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTION WAS ACTIVATED FOR BOTH ACFT, ALERTING THE CONTROLLER OF A PENDING LOSS OF REQUIRED SEPARATION. THE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED AF-2 TO MAINTAIN 12,000 FT. AF-2 ACKNOWLEDGED. HOWEVER, AF-2 REACHED APRX 13,000 FT BEFORE STARTING DESCENT & SEPN CONTDDECREASING. RADAR DATA SHOWED A MIN SLANT RANGE DIST OF 1/4 MI WITH 600 FT VERT SEPN. THIS CONSTITUTED AN ATC OPERATIONAL ERROR INVOLVING LESS THAN STANDARD SEPN. THE ACFT WERE IN IMC & NONE OF THE PLTS SAW THE CONFLICTING TRAFFIC
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 Cessna 310J final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BOEING VC-137B-BN, USAF #58-6971, OPERATING AS AIR FORCE 2 (AF-2), DEPARTED CLEVELAND, OH, AT ABOUT 1745 EDT ON AN IFR CLEARANCE. AFTER DEPARTING CLEVELAND, AF-2 WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 8000 FT MSL BY CLEVELAND DEPARTURE CONTROL & WAS TRANSFERED TO CLEVELAND ARTCC. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH CLEVELAND ARTCC, AF-2 WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB TO FLT LEVEL 230. A CESSNA 310J, N3057L, WAS CRUISING IN THE SAME VICINITY ON AN IFR CLEARANCE AT 13,000 FT & WAS ALSO UNDER CONTROL OF CLEVELAND ARTCC. AS AF-2 WAS CLIMBING THRU 12,200 ARTCC'S ATC COMPUTER CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTION WAS ACTIVATED FOR BOTH ACFT, ALERTING THE CONTROLLER OF A PENDING LOSS OF REQUIRED SEPARATION. THE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED AF-2 TO MAINTAIN 12,000 FT. AF-2 ACKNOWLEDGED. HOWEVER, AF-2 REACHED APRX 13,000 FT BEFORE STARTING DESCENT & SEPN CONTDDECREASING. RDAR DATA SHOWED A MIN SLANT RANGE DIST OF 1/4 MI WITH600 FT VRT SEPN. THIS CONSTITUTED AND ATC OPERATIONAL ERROR INVOLVING LESS THAN STANDARD SEPN. THE ACFT WERE IN IMC & NONE OF THE PLTS SAW THE CONFLICTING TRAFFIC
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 VC-137B-BN from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,592 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 258,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W TF-33 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH
- Destination: ADW Camp Springs MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from CAK, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 17 | |||
| Passengers | 28 |
The factual record for the Cessna 310J from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,002 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GRB Green Bay WI
- Destination: ANP Annapolis MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under USAF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.