Boeing 747-238 accident near Newark, New Jersey, August 11, 1992
On August 11, 1992 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Boeing 747-238, registered GVOIG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newark, New Jersey (Newark International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 361 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY'S FAILURE TO ASSURE ADEQUATE OBSTACLE CLEARANCE FOR AIRCRAFT MANUEVERING AROUND THE RAMP AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1992 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 361 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747-238 · all 747-238s on the register
- Registration
- GVOIG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING THE CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO A HOLDING AREA KNOWN AS 'YANKEE AIRCRAFT PARKING' TO AWAIT A GATE ASSIGNMENT. WHILE MANEUVERING INTO PARKING SPACE NO.4, THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK A LIGHT POLE, SEVERING A 6 FT SECTION. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR WITH ANOTHER BOEING 747. THE PORT AUTHORITY SUBSEQUENTLY RESTRICTED THE USE OF PARKING SPACE NO.4 AREA T0 NARROWBODY AIRCRAFT ONLY.
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: foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 600,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Virgin Atlantic Airways, LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: London OF
- Destination: EWR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22L
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 19 | |||
| Passengers | 342 |
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.