Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 and Vickers VC10 incident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, December 30, 1988
On December 30, 1988 at about 10:03 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 (N153AA) and Vickers VC10 (UNK), were involved in the same incident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. No one was hurt; 17 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 1988 · about 10:03 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, AO
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 17 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 · all DC-10s on the register
- Registration
- N153AA · registry record · serial 46708
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Vickers VC10
- Registration
- UNK · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AMERICAN FLT 1180 (MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS DC-10) WAS NORTHBOUND OVR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AT FLT LVL 350 AS A BRITISH ROYAL AIR FORCE VICKERS VC10 WAS CRUISING EAST AT THE SAME ALT (NON-STANDARD ALT FOR THE VC10'S DRCTN OF FLT). THEY WERE IN A NON-RADAR AIRSPACE UNDER CTL OF NEW YORK ARTCC, USING NON-DIRECT RADIO COMM THRU ARINC. BOTH WERE IN VMC, ALTHOUGH OPERG UNDER IFR RULES. THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED AS THEY CROSSED OVR ELWOD INTXN. THE VC10 PASSED IN FRONT OF FLT 1180, FM LEFT TO RGT, WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED IFR SEPN. NEITHER FLT CREW SAW THE OTR ACFT UNTIL FLT 1180 FLEW THRU THE WAKE FM THE VC10. THE CREW OF FLT 1180 THEN SAW THE VC10 FLYING AWAY AT THE SAME ALT WHICH THEY ESTD WAS LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY. THE STRIP FOR THE VC10 WAS MARKED WITH A RED UNDERLINE & AN ARROW TO DEPICT ITS DRCTN OF FLT & NON-STANDARD ALT. THE CTLR SAID SHEWAS AWARE OF THE VC10, BUT DIDN'T SEE THE STRIP FOR FLT 1180 IN THE BAY FOR ELWOD INTXN. WHEN THE CTLR ASSUMED HER DUTY PSN, THE PREVIOUS CTLR TOLD HER THE VC10 WAS CLEAR (HAD NO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC) THRU STOCK, ELWOD & DEENO INTXNS.
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 Vickers VC10 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AMERICAN FLT 1180 (MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS DC-10) WAS NORTHBOUND OVR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AT FLT LVL 350 AS A BRITISH ROYAL AIR FORCE VICKERS VC10 WAS CRUISING EAST AT THE SAME ALT (NON-STANDARD ALT FOR THE VC10'S DRCTN OF FLT). THEY WERE IN A NON-RADAR AIRSPACE UNDER CTL OF NEW YORK ARTCC, USING NON-DIRECT RADIO COMM THRU ARINC. BOTH WERE IN VMC, ALTHOUGH OPERG UNDER IFR RULES. THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED AS THEY CROSSED OVR ELWOD INTXN. THE VC10 PASSED IN FRONT OF FLT 1180, FM LEFT TO RGT, WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED IFR SEPN. NEITHER FLT CREW SAW THE OTR ACFT UNTIL FLT 1180 FLEW THRU THE WAKE FM THE VC10. THE CREW OF FLT 1180 THEN SAW THE VC10 FLYING AWAY AT THE SAME ALT WHICH THEY ESTD WAS LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY. THE STRIP FOR THE VC10 WAS MARKED WITH A RED UNDERLINE & AN ARROW TO DEPICT ITS DRCTN OF FLT & NON-STANDARD ALT. THE CTLR SAID SHEWAS AWARE OF THE VC10, BUT DIDN'T SEE THE STRIP FOR FLT 1180 IN THE BAY FOR ELWOD INTXN. WHEN THE CTLR ASSUMED HER DUTY PSN, THE PREVIOUS CTLR TOLD HER THE VC10 WAS CLEAR (HAD NO CONFLICTING TRAFFIC) THRU STOCK, ELWOD & DEENO INTXNS.
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 DC-10 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 455,000 lb
- Seats: 345
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SJU San Juan PR
- Destination: JFK New York 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 | 13 |
The factual record for the Vickers VC10 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 295,000 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce MK 550 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Royal Air Force
The flight
- Departed from: MZBZ Belize OF
- Destination: TXKF Bermuda OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.