Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC and Boeing 747-284B incident near New York, New York, April 23, 1989
On April 23, 1989 at about 9:01 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC (N3044J) and Boeing 747-284B (N305TW), were involved in the same incident near New York, New York (John F Kennedy airport). No one was hurt; 241 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 SWEARINGEN FLIGHT CREW TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE AIRPLANE THEY WERE TO FOLLOW, PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31R.
THE FAILURE OF THE SWEARINGEN FLIGHT CREW TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE AIRPLANE THEY WERE TO FOLLOW, PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31R.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1989 · about 9:01 pm local time
- Place
- New York, New York · John F Kennedy · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 241 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC
- Registration
- N3044J · registry record · serial AC-466
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 747-284B · all 747-284Bs on the register
- Registration
- N305TW · no longer on the register · serial 20742
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO 747S WERE ON APPROACH FOR RWY 31R, FOLLOWED BY A SWEARINGEN SA 227AC MERLIN. THE MERLIN WAS GIVEN A VISUAL APPROACH WHICH THE PILOT ACCEPTED AND TRAFFIC HE WAS TO FOLLOW WAS CALLED AS BEING AT THE 11 O'CLOCK POSITION. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE FIRST 747 ONLY 10 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE NOSE OF THE MERLIN WHICH THE FLIGHT CREW IDENTIFIED AS THE TRAFFIC TO FOLLOW. THE SECOND 747 WHICH WAS THE ONE TO BE FOLLOWED WAS 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE NOSE. THE MERLIN PASSED APPROXIMATELY 300 FT OVER THE TOP OF THE 2ND 747 IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTER MARKER WHILE ON THE VISUAL APPROACH. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. THE CAPTAIN OF THE MERLIN SAID HE NORMALLY FLYS 1 TO 1 1/2 DOTS HIGH ON THE GLIDE SLOPE FOR WAKE TURBULENCE. THE SUN WAS AT AN ANGLE THAT BACKLIGHTED BOTH 747S.
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 747-284B final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO 747S WERE ON APPROACH FOR RWY 31R, FOLLOWED BY A SWEARINGEN SA 227AC MERLIN. THE MERLIN WAS GIVEN A VISUAL APPROACH WHICH THE PILOT ACCEPTED AND TRAFFIC HE WAS TO FOLLOW WAS CALLED AS BEING AT THE 11 O'OCLOCK POSITION. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE FIRST 747 ONLY 10 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE NOSE OF THE MERLIN WHICH THE FLIGHT CREW IDENTIFIED AS THE TRAFFIC TO FOLLOW. THE SECOND 747 WHICH WAS THE ONE TO BE FOLLOWED WAS 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE NOSE. THE MERLIN PASSED APPROXIMATELY 300 FT OVER THE TOP OF THE 2ND 747 IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTER MARKER WHILE ON THE VISUAL APPROACH. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. THE CAPTAIN OF THE MERLIN SAID HE NORMALLY FLYS 1 TO 1 1/2 DOTS HIGH ON THE GLIDE SLOPE FOR WAKE TURBULENCE. THE SUN WAS AT AN ANGLE THAT BACKLIGHTED BOTH 747S.
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 Fairchild Swearingen SA-227AC 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: 2,550 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 567 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,986 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 19, 1989; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,600 lb
- Seats: 20
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-11U (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pocono Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PVD Providence RI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from JFK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
The factual record for the Boeing 747-284B 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: 14,943 hours in all; 819 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 9,579 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 775,000 lb
- Seats: 495
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7A (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHR Lundon OF at 1:42 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 21 | |||
| Passengers | 210 |
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.