Boeing 747-400 accident near Newark, New Jersey, October 31, 2006
On October 31, 2006 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Boeing 747-400, registered DABVY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newark, New Jersey (Newark Liberty Intl airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 312 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 Boeing 747 crew to maintain an adequate visual lookout. Contributing to the accident were the night lighting conditions, the back lighting from the apron lights, and the crew's diverted attention in focusing on a Boeing 757 that they were instructed to follow.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2006 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark Liberty Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 312 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-400 · all 747-400s on the register
- Registration
- DABVY · no longer on the register · serial 29869
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night taxi, the leading edge left wingtip of a Boeing 747 (B747) impacted the trailing edge right wingtip of a Boeing 757 (B757) in tow, but stopped, near the intersection of diverging taxiways. The B747 crew was not aware of the B757 in tow. The captain indicated that the accident occurred in an area where the B757 in tow was backlit by apron lights, and that the crew's attention was diverted to another B757 ahead that they had been instructed to follow. The B757 in tow, which had been taxiing ahead of the B747 prior to reaching the diverging taxiways, had received its taxi instructions prior to the B747 crew being on the frequency. Some taxiways were mislabeled on a Federal Aviation Administration airport diagram; however, the mislabeling did not affect the outcome of the accident.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,300 hours in all; 6,346 in this make and model; 236 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,692 hours in all; 4,960 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 32,204 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 849,999 lb
- Seats: 377
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF6-80C2B1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF6-80C2B1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: General Electric CF6-80C2B1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: General Electric CF6-80C2B1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEWR Newark NJ
- Destination: EDDF Frankfurt
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from KEWR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 18 | |||
| Passengers | 294 |
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.