Boeing 767-323ER and Douglas DC-8-71 incident near Miami, Florida, February 9, 1992
On February 9, 1992 at about 3:54 am local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 767-323ER (N354AA) and Douglas DC-8-71 (N8079U), were involved in the same incident near Miami, Florida (Miami International airport). No one was hurt; 461 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE FAA LOCAL CONTROLLER TO ASSURE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WAS ESTABLISHED.
THE FAILURE OF THE FAA LOCAL CONTROLLER TO ASURE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WAS ESTABLISHED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 1992 · about 3:54 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami International
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 461 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 767-323ER · all 767-323ERs on the register
- Registration
- N354AA · registry record · serial 24035
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Douglas DC-8-71 · all DC-8-71s on the register
- Registration
- N8079U · no longer on the register · serial 45947
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 767-323ER final · quoted from the NTSB record
OM TAKEOFF ROLL THE CREW OF THE AIRLINER ATTEMPTED AN EVASIVE SWERVE TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE ELEVATOR OF ANOTHER AIRLINER THAT WAS NOT CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE RIGHT ELEVATOR AND BOTH AIRPLANES HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE FAA LOCAL CONTROLLER ISSUED THE TAKEOFF CLEARANCE PRIOR TO ASSURING SEPARATION WOULD OCCUR.
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-8-71 final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON TAKEOFF ROLL THE CREW OF THE AIRLINER ATTEMPTED AN EVASIVE SWERVE TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE ELEVATOR OF ANOTHER AIRLINER THAT WAS NOT CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE RIGHT ELEVATOR AND BOTH AIRPLANES HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE FAA LOCAL CONTOLLER ISSUED THE TAKEOFF CLEARANCE PRIOR TO ASURING SEPARATION WOULD OCCUR.
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 767-323ER from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model; 224 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,643 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 401,000 lb
- Seats: 212
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80C2B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Destination: SBSP Sao Paulo OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 10,502 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 am from MIA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 14 | |||
| Passengers | 212 |
The factual record for the Douglas DC-8-71 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,366 hours in all; 3,146 in this make and model; 329 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,402 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 24, 1991; 1,277 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 325,000 lb
- Seats: 227
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cfm CFM-56-2-C1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGAS Asuncion OF at 10:30 pm
- Destination: MIA Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 10,502 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 15 | |||
| Passengers | 220 |
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.