Boeing 727-225 and Boeing KC-135A incident near Marietta, Georgia, July 16, 1984
On July 16, 1984 at about 3:00 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 727-225 (N8840E) and Boeing KC-135A (USAF), were involved in the same incident near Marietta, Georgia. No one was hurt; 45 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
- July 16, 1984 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Georgia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 45 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 727-225 · all 727-225s on the register
- Registration
- N8840E · no longer on the register · serial 20383
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing KC-135A
- Registration
- USAF · no longer on the register · serial 18105
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727-225 final · quoted from the NTSB record
EASTERN AIRLINES FLT 92, A BOEING 727, N8840E, AND AN AIR FORCE KC-135, REG #60-0330, CALL SIGN FOWL 24, WERE INVOLVED IN A NEAR COLLISION WHILE BOTH ACFT WERE MAINTAINING FL350. THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THAT DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE KC-135 PASSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIS ACFT AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1/4 MI, CROSSING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. ALSO, HE REPORTED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR HIM TO AVOID WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE KC-135. THE KC-135 FLT CREW WERE UNAWARE OF THE OCCURRENCE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING FLT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER JACKSONVILLE CENTER HAD INSTRUCTED THE KC-135 CREW TO CONTACT ATLANTA CENTER DURING A HAND-OFF. THE KC-135 COPLT THOUGHT HE HAD COMPLIED, BUT NO CALLS WERE RECORDED UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE ATLANTA CONTROLLER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE KC-135 IN HIS ASSIGNED AIRSPACE UNTIL AFTER THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THE NEAR COLLISION. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT RADAR DATA ON THE KC-135 WAS AVAILABLE & DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROLLER'S SCOPE.
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 Boeing KC-135A final · quoted from the NTSB record
EASTERN AIRLINES FLT 92, A BOEING 727, N8840E, AND AN AIR FORCE-KC-135, REG #60-0330, CALL SIGN FOWL 24, WERE INVOLVED IN A NEAR COLLISION WHILE BOTH ACFT WERE MAINTAINING FL350. THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THAT DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE KC-135 PASSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIS ACFT AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1/4 MI, CROSSING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. ALSO, HE REPORTED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR HIM TO AVOID WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE KC-135. THE KC-135 FLT CREW WERE UNAWARE OF THE OCCURENCE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING FLT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER JACKSONVILLE CENTER HAD INSTRUCTED THE KC-135 CREW TO CONTACT ATLANTA CENTER DURING A HAND-OFF. THE KC-135 COPLT THOUGHT HE HAD COMPLIED, BUT NO CALLS WERE RECORDED UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE ATLANTA CONTROLLER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE KC-135 IN HIS ASSIGNED AIRSPACE UNTIL AFTER THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THE NEAR COLLISION. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT RADAR DATA ON THE KC-135 WAS AVAILABLE & DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROLLER'S SCOPE.
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 727-225 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: 11,000 hours in all; 4,550 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40,143 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 12, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 33 |
The factual record for the Boeing KC-135A 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: 2,275 hours in all; 1,437 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,461 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 285,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W J-57-59W (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Usaf, 19Th Aref Wingf
The flight
- Departed from: WRB Warner Robbins GA at 11:39 am
- Destination: WRB Warner Robins GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
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.