Cessna CITATION 550 and Douglas DC-9-32 incident near Houston, Texas, October 8, 1984
On October 8, 1984 at about 12:06 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna CITATION 550 (N107T) and Douglas DC-9-32 (N3322L), were involved in the same incident near Houston, Texas (Hobby airport). No one was hurt; 44 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
- October 8, 1984 · about 12:06 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Hobby
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 44 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna CITATION 550 CITATION 5
- Registration
- N107T · no longer on the register · serial 550-0163
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Douglas DC-9-32 DC9-32 · all DC-9-32s on the register
- Registration
- N3322L · no longer on the register · serial 47031
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna CITATION 550 final · quoted from the NTSB record
N3322L INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY 04 AT THE TIME N107T BECAME AIRBORNE ON TAKEOFF FROM THAT RWY. A NEAR MISS OCCURRED AS THE CAPTAIN AND 1ST OFFICER OF N107T OBSERVED N3322L ON THE RWY AND MADE A MAX PERFORMANCE CLIMB OVER THE TOP OF N3322L. N3322L WAS ORIGINALLY CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 04 VIA TAXIWAY CHARLIE TO FOXTROT. THE FLT CREW DID NOT MAKE A NECESSARY TURN FROM TAXIWAY CHARLIE TO TAXIWAY FOXTROT. NEITHER ACFT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE TOWER DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY.
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 Douglas DC-9-32 final · quoted from the NTSB record
N3322L INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY 04 AT THE TIME N107T BECAME AIRBORNE ON TAKEOFF FROM THAT RWY. A NEAR MISS OCCURRED AS THE CAPTAIN AND 1ST OFFICER OF N107T OBSERVED N3322L ON THE RWY AND MADE A MAX PERFORMANCE CLIMB OVER THE TOP OF N3322L. N3322L WAS ORIGINALLY CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 04 VIA TAXIWAY CHARLIE TO FOXTROT. THE FLT CREW DID NOT MAKE A NECESSARY TURN FROM TAXIWAY CHARLIE TO TAXIWAY FOXTROT. NEITHER ACFT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE TOWER DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY.
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 Cessna CITATION 550 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 11,850 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX at 12:06 pm
- Destination: MCI Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,602 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:06 pm from HOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
The factual record for the Douglas DC-9-32 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: 13,280 hours in all; 4,280 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 109,000 lb
- Seats: 85
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Unknown UNK (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Republic Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX
- Destination: MEM Memphis TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,602 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 34 |
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 N107T 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.