Boeing 767-300 accident near Newark, New Jersey, May 22, 1997
On May 22, 1997 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Boeing 767-300, registered IDEIL, 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; 168 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper landing flare by the co-pilot and the inadequate supervision of the flight by the pilot-in-command. Other related factors were the gusty crosswind, windshear, and the lack of familiarity with the airplane by both pilots.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1997 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 168 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-300 · all 767-300s on the register
- Registration
- IDEIL · no longer on the register · serial 28147
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing with a gusty crosswind, the pilot received an onboard wind shear alert about 5 seconds prior to touchdown, and the airplane touched down with a 1.8 G load on the main landing gear, followed 2 seconds later by a 2.8 G spike on the nose landing gear. After touchdown, the first officer, the operating pilot, continued to push the control column forward, and the airplane pitched nose down, as the main landing gear alternately lifted off the ground and the ground spoilers retracted. The nose landing gear and surrounding structure were damaged. The captain and first officer had 150 hours and 68 hours respectively, in make and model. The ATIS contained, '...Low level windshear advisories are in effect...' which was acknowledged by the flight crew. The local controller had advised preceding flights prior to the airplane's arrival on frequency that, '...gain or loss of 15 knots below 300 feet reported by several aircraft...' He also gave this information to his relief about 1 minute prior to the airplane landing. However, it was not given to the accident flight. ATC controllers were not required to repeat the warning when it was on the ATIS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,880 hours in all; 156 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 4,196 as pilot in command; 804 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,917 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 15, 1997; 344 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 399,700 lb
- Seats: 238
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80-C2B6F (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIMC Milano, Italy OF at 9:40 am
- Destination: EWR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4R, 9,300 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 16 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from EWR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 10 | |||
| Passengers | 158 |
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.