Fokker F-28 and Boeing B-767 incident near Flushing, New York, October 24, 1985
On October 24, 1985 at about 12:50 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Fokker F-28 (N510) and Boeing B-767 (N109DL), were involved in the same incident near Flushing, New York (Laguardia airport). No one was hurt; 421 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 1985 · about 12:50 pm local time
- Place
- Flushing, New York · Laguardia · map
- Type
- Incident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 421 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Fokker F-28
- Registration
- N510 · no longer on the register · serial 11167
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing B-767 B767
- Registration
- N109DL · registry record · serial 22221
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Fokker F-28 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE F-28 ACFT WAS HOLDING ON TAXIWAY BB. THE B-767 ACFT WAS TAXIING BEHIND THE F-28 ON TAXIWAY E WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO TAXIWAY BB. THE R WING OF THE B 767 STRUCK THE RUDDER OF THE F-28.
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 B-767 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE F-28 ACFT WAS HOLDING ON TAXIWAY BB. THE B-767 ACFT WAS TAXIING BEHIND THE F-28 ON TAXIWAY E WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO TAXIWAY BB. THE R WING OF THE B-767 STRUCK THE RUDDER OF THE F-28.
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 Fokker F-28 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,470 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 24, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 56,700 lb
- Seats: 60
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB-183555-15P (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Empire Airlines,Inc.
The flight
- Destination: Binghamton NY
- 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)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 35 |
The factual record for the Boeing B-767 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,400 hours in all; 545 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 22, 1985; 7,427 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 300,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80A2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 8 | |||
| Passengers | 374 |
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 N510 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC86IA019.