Amateur-built DHC-7-102 and Lockheed C-141 incident near Wrightstown, New Jersey, April 8, 1987
On April 8, 1987 at about 2:31 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built DHC-7-102 (N42RA) and Lockheed C-141 (USAF), were involved in the same incident near Wrightstown, New Jersey. 2 people had minor injuries; 15 others were unhurt. 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1987 · about 2:31 pm local time
- Place
- Wrightstown, New Jersey
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 15 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built DHC-7-102
- Registration
- N42RA · no longer on the register · serial 58
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Lockheed C-141
- Registration
- USAF · no longer on the register · serial 63-8090
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built DHC-7-102 final · quoted from the NTSB record
RANSOM FLT 444 (DHC-7) RPRTD A NEAR COLLISION WITH USAF C-141 (GLEEK 41) AS FLT 444 WAS AT 5000' & GLEEK 41 WAS CLBG TO 7500' FM A COMBAT AIRCREW TRAINING (CAT) MNVR. FLT 444 WAS UNDER IFR CTL OF MCGUIRE AFB RAPCON; GLEEK 41 WAS VFR, RCVG RADAR ADZYS FM RAPCON. THE DHC-7 CREW RPRTD THE CAMOUFLAGED C-141 BLENDED WITH THE BACKGROUND. AS THEY MNVRD TO AVOID A COLLISION, THE F/A & 1 PAX WERE INJURED. THE C-141 CAT MNVR (FM RWY 36 AT MCGUIRE) SIMULATED VFR APCH & DEP FM A HOSTILEARPT ENVIRONMENT. TO STAY IN THE ALLOCATED AIRSPACE, GLEEK 41 SHOULD HAVE MADE A LEFT CLBG DEP. THE RAPCON CTLR LACKED FAMILIARITY WITH THE CAT MNVR, BUT APPROVED A CLB TO 7500'. HE NOTED FLT 444 WAS COMING FM THE WEST, SO GAVE A TRAFFIC ADZY & TOLD GLEEK 41 TO TURN RGT TO 090 DEG. BY THAT TIME, GLEEK 41 WAS WELL IN A LEFT TURN, CLBG ABT 3000'/MIN. ANOTHERTRAFFIC ADZY WAS GIVEN & GLEEK 41 WAS TOLD TO LVL AT 4500', BUT IT RCHD ABT 5000' & CONVERGED WITH FLT 444 BFR ASCENT WAS ARRESTED. THE RAPCON RADAR (GPN-12/PIDP) DIDN'T HAVE CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTION. THE C-141 CREW DIDN'T SEE THE DHC-7.
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 Lockheed C-141 final · quoted from the NTSB record
RANSOM FLT 444 (DHC-7) RPRTD A NEAR COLLISION WITH USAF C-141 (GLEEK 41) AS FLT 444 WAS AT 5000' & GLEEK 41 WAS CLBG TO 7500' FM A COMBAT AIRCREW TRAINING (CAT) MNVR. FLT 444 WAS UNDER IFR CTL OF MCGUIRE AFB RAPCON; GLEEK 41 WAS VFR, RCVG RADAR ADZYS FM RAPCON. THE DHC-7 CREW RPRTD THE CAMOUFLAGED C-141 BLENDED WITH THE BACKGROUND. AS THEY MNVRD TO AVOID A COLLISION, THE F/A & 1 PAX WERE INJURED. THE C-141 CAT MNVR (FM RWY 36 AT MCGUIRE) SIMULATED VFR APCH & DEP FM A HOSTILEARPT ENVIRONMENT. TO STAY IN THE ALLOCATED AIRSPACE, GLEEK 41 SHOULD HAVE MADE A LEFT CLBG DEP. THE RAPCON CTLR LACKED FAMILIARITY WITH THE CAT MNVR, BUT APPROVED A CLB TO 7500'. HE NOTED FLT 444 WAS COMING FM THE WEST, SO GAVE A TRAFFIC ADZY & TOLD GLEEK 41 TO TURN RGT TO 090 DEG. BY THAT TIME, GLEEK 41 WAS WELL IN A LEFT TURN, CLBG ABT 3000'/MIN. ANOTHERTRAFFIC ADZY WAS GIVEN & GLEEK 41 WAS TOLD TO LVL AT 4500', BUT IN RCHD ABT 5000' & CONVERGED WITH FLT 444 BFR ASCENT WAS ARRESTED. THE RAPCON RADAR (GPN-12/PIDP) DIDN'T HAVE CONFLICT ALERT FUNCTION. THE C-141 CREW DIDN'T SEE THE DHC-7.
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 amateur-built DHC-7-102 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: 15,674 hours in all; 4,666 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 44,000 lb
- Seats: 52
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-50 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA
- Destination: JFK Jamaica NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 |
The factual record for the Lockheed C-141 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: military
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 344,000 lb
- Seats: 209
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W TF33-P-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WRI Mcguire Afb NJ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: WRI
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
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 N42RA 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.