Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 and Fairchild SA227-AC incident near Dallas-Ft Worth, Texas, February 28, 1995
On February 28, 1995 at about 2:54 am local time, 2 aircraft, Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 (N1763) and Fairchild SA227-AC (N355AE), were involved in the same incident near Dallas-Ft Worth, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Intl airport). No one was hurt; 78 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOCAL CONTROLLER'S TASK OVERLOAD, WHICH LED HIM TO FORGET TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC ADVISORIES AND TO LOSE HIS AWARENESS OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CONTROLLER'S SUPERVISOR TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONTROLLER HAD REACHED OR EXCEEDED HIS MAXIMUM THRESHOLD OF WORKLOAD CAPABILITY AND TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
THE LOCAL CONTROLLER'S TASK OVERLOAD, WHICH LED HIM TO FORGET TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC ADVISORIES AND TO LOSE HIS AWARENESS OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CONTROLLER'S SUPERVISOR TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONTROLLER HAD REACHED OR EXCEEDED HIS MAXIMUM THRESHOLD OF WORKLOAD CAPABILITY AND TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1995 · about 2:54 am local time
- Place
- Dallas-Ft Worth, Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Intl
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 78 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 · all MD11s on the register
- Registration
- N1763 · no longer on the register · serial 48533
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Fairchild SA227-AC · all SA227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N355AE · registry record · serial AC642
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED AMERICAN FLT 2351, N1763, TO LAND ON RWY 35R. SEVEN SECONDS LATER THE SAME CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED LONE STAR FLT 1219, N355AE, TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RWY 35R. NEITHER CREW HEARD THE OTHER'S CLEARANCE, NOR WAS EITHER ADVISED OF THE OTHER'S POSITION AS REQUIRED. THE TOWER CAB SUPERVISOR NOTICED THE CONFLICT & ALERTED THE CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER COULD NOT RECALL THE CALL SIGN FOR AA2351, AND ISSUED GO-AROUND INSTRUCTIONS USING INCORRECT CALL SIGNS AA1251 & AA1261. AA2351 OVERFLEW LS1219 BY ABOUT 35 FT BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. THE LOCAL FREQUENCY WAS VERY BUSY, AND THE CONTROLLER'S WORKLOAD WAS CATEGORIZED AS 'HEAVY' BY ALL FLIGHTCREWS INTERVIEWED. REVIEW OF ATC TAPES CONFIRMED THOSE OBSERVATIONS. THE CONTROLLER WAS HANDLING TRAFFIC ON RWYS 35L, 35R, AND 31R, IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING INPUTS FROM THE DEPARTURE CONTROLLER. FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE INCURSION, THE CONTROLLER WAS GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE, AND INFORMED HIS SUPERVISOR THAT HE NEEDED A BREAK. THE SUPERVISOR LATER SAID THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE CONTROLLER WAS GETTING OVERLOADED.
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 Fairchild SA227-AC final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED AMERICAN FLT 2351, N1763, TO LAND ON RWY 35R. SEVEN SECONDS LATER THE SAME CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED LONE STAR FLT 1219, N355AE, TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RWY 35R. NEITHER CREW HEARD THE OTHER'S CLEARANCE, NOR WAS EITHER ADVISED OF THE OTHER'S POSITION AS REQUIRED. THE TOWER CAB SUPERVISOR NOTICED THE CONFLICT & ALERTED THE CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER COULD NOT RECALL THE CALL SIGN FOR AA2351, AND ISSUED GO-AROUND INSTRUCTIONS USING INCORRECT CALL SIGNS AA1251 & AA1261. AA2351 OVERFLEW LS1219 BY ABOUT 35 FT BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. THE LOCAL FREQUENCY WAS VERY BUSY, AND THE CONTROLLER'S WORKLOAD WAS CATEGORIZED AS 'HEAVY' BY ALL FLIGHTCREWS INTERVIEWED. REVIEW OF ATC TAPES CONFIRMED THOSE OBSERVATIONS. THE CONTROLLER WAS HANDLING TRAFFIC ON RWYS 35L, 35R, AND 31R, IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING INPUTS FROM THE DEPARTURE CONTROLLER. FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE INCURSION, THE CONTROLLER WAS GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE, AND INFORMED HIS SUPERVISOR THAT HE NEEDED A BREAK. THE SUPERVISOR LATER SAID THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE CONTROLLER WAS GETTING OVERLOADED.
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 Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,137 hours in all; 279 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 14,487 as pilot in command; 2,681 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,726 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 24, 1995; 8,691 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 625,000 lb
- Seats: 249
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF680C2D-1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORD Chicago IL
- Destination: DFW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35R, 11,388 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 10 | |||
| Passengers | 58 |
The factual record for the Fairchild SA227-AC from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 2,300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,725 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 22, 1995; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allied Signal TPE331-11U (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DFW
- Destination: BPK Mountain Home AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35R, 11,388 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.