Boeing 737 and Gulfstream Aerospace G1159B incident near Worton, Maryland, March 25, 2010
On March 25, 2010 at about 1:04 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737 (N27239) and Gulfstream Aerospace G1159B (N909JE), were involved in the same incident near Worton, Maryland. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The R10/12 controller issued an improper vector and descent clearance to the GII that put the airplane on a coverging flight path with the B737. Contributing to the incident was the failure of the FAA's training program to correct ongoing controller performance deficiencies before certifying the D10/12 controller to work without immediate supervision.
The R10/12 controller issued an improper vector and descent clearance to the GII that put the airplane on a coverging flight path with the B737. Contributing to the incident was the failure of the FAA's training program to correct ongoing controller performance deficiencies before certifying the D10/12 controller to work without immediate supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2010 · about 1:04 pm local time
- Place
- Worton, Maryland · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 737 804 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- N27239 · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Gulfstream Aerospace G1159B · all G1159Bs on the register
- Registration
- N909JE · no longer on the register · serial 151
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737 final · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 25, 2010, at 0904 eastern daylight time, an operational error occurred at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC) when Continental Airlines flight 239 (COA239), a Boeing 737-800, en route from Miami, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey, and N909JE, a Gulfstream II en route from Palm Beach, Florida, to Teterboro, New Jersey, passed within 1.04 miles laterally and 300 feet vertically over Worton, Maryland. Both aircraft were operating on instrument flight plans in class A airspace under control of ZDC. Required minimum separation between the aircraft was 5 miles and 1000 feet. There was no damage reported to either aircraft and no injuries to passengers or crew. When interviewed, the R12 controller stated that she turned the GII east to avoid entering restricted airspace over Aberdeen, Maryland. The heading issued to avoid the restricted area put the GII on a converging heading with the B737, with both aircraft descending to FL240. Minimum separation occurred as both aircraft descended through FL279 and FL276, respectively, with 1.04nm lateral separation. Review of the R12 controller's training records showed numerous recurring writeups for not maintaining positive control of situations, not taking timely action when required, and use of poor control judgment. Similar issues contributed to the loss of separation between the B737 and GII.
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 Gulfstream Aerospace G1159B final · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 25, 2010, at 0904 eastern daylight time, an operational error occurred at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC) when Continental Airlines flight 239 (COA239), a Boeing 737-800, en route from Miami, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey, and N909JE, a Gulfstream II en route from Palm Beach, Florida, to Teterboro, New Jersey, passed within 1.04 miles laterally and 300 feet vertically over Worton, Maryland. Both aircraft were operating on instrument flight plans in class A airspace under control of ZDC. Required minimum separation between the aircraft was 5 miles and 1000 feet. There was no damage reported to either aircraft and no injuries to passengers or crew. When interviewed, the R12 controller stated that she turned the GII east to avoid entering restricted airspace over Aberdeen, Maryland. The heading issued to avoid the restricted area put the GII on a converging heading with the B737, with both aircraft descending to FL240. Minimum separation occurred as both aircraft descended through FL279 and FL276, respectively, with 1.04nm lateral separation. Review of the R12 controller's training records showed numerous recurring writeups for not maintaining positive control of situations, not taking timely action when required, and use of poor control judgment. Similar issues contributed to the loss of separation between the B737 and GII.
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 737 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › ATC personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › ATC personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience in position › ATC personnel
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Initial training › ATC
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Continental Airlines INC
The flight
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
The factual record for the Gulfstream Aerospace G1159B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › ATC personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience in position › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › ATC personnel
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Initial training › ATC
The aircraft
- Seats: 22
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls-Royc RB.211 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hyperion Air INC
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number OPS10IA014.