Boeing B744 and Boeing B737-800 incident near Atlantic Ocean, August 28, 2008
On August 28, 2008 at about 10:37 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing B744 (UKNOWN) and Boeing B737-800 (N395DN), were involved in the same incident near Atlantic Ocean. No one was hurt; 159 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The San Juan CERAP controllers failure to ensure the two aircraft were properly separated using non-radar separation standards.
The San Juan CERAP controllers failure to ensure the two aircraft were properly separated using non-radar separation standards.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2008 · about 10:37 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 159 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing B744
- Registration
- UKNOWN · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing B737-800
- Registration
- N395DN · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing B744 final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 28, 2008, at approximately 1837 Atlantic standard time, Russian Registered Transaero flight 554, a Boeing 744, and Delta Airlines flight 845, a Boeing 738, came within zero feet vertical and 1 minute lateral separation (15 minutes is required in non-radar environment) at FL330 179N San Juan, PR. Transaero 554 descended 200-300 feet due to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) resolution alert.
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 B737-800 final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 28, 2008, at approximately 1837 Atlantic standard time, Russian Registered Transaero flight 554, a Boeing 744, and Delta Airlines flight 845, a Boeing 738, came within zero feet vertical and 1 minute lateral separation (15 minutes is required in non-radar environment) at FL330 179N San Juan, PR. Transaero 554 descended 200-300 feet due to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) resolution alert.
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 Boeing B744 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during enroute (cruise)
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of automation › ATC personnel
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Transaero Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: MDPC Punta Cana
- Destination: UUDD Moscow
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Boeing B737-800 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (cruise)
- Air traffic event during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute (cruise)
- Altitude deviation during enroute (cruise)
- Collision avoidance alert during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of automation › ATC personnel
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: JFK
- Destination: TTPS Port Of Spain
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 152 |
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.