Boeing 777-222 and Cessna 182R incident near San Francisco, California, March 27, 2010
On March 27, 2010 at about 6:12 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 777-222 (N216UA) and Cessna 182R (N9870E), were involved in the same incident near San Francisco, California. No one was hurt; 268 people were on board or involved.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The local controller's issuance of a takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777 without ensuring that approved separation would exist with the Cessna 182. Contributing to the incident were tower procedures that permitted transitioning aircraft to cross the runway 28 departure corridor at low altitude while runways 28L/R were in use.
The local controller's issuance of a takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777 without ensuring that approved separation would exist with the Cessna 182. Contributing to the incident were tower procedures that permitted transitioning aircraft to cross the runway 28 departure corridor at low altitude while runways 28L/R were in use.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2010 · about 6:12 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 268 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 777-222 · all 777-222s on the register
- Registration
- N216UA · registry record · serial 30549
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9870E · registry record · serial 18268457
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 777-222 final · quoted from the NTSB record
An operational error occurred when a Boeing 777 and a Cessna 182 transiting the Class B surface area passed within approximately 480 feet laterally and 300 feet vertically of each other. Both airplanes were under control of air traffic control at the time of the incident. Postincident investigation determined that the local controller issued a takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777 without resolving a potential conflict with the Cessna, which was southbound just west of the airport. The controller attempted to establish approved separation between the two airplanes after the Boeing departed, but was unable to do so. The pilot of the Cessna took evasive action to pass behind the Boeing. Review of tower procedures revealed deficiencies that permitted aircraft to cross the runway 28L/R departure corridor while the runways were active, facilitating conflicts of this nature.
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 Cessna 182R final · quoted from the NTSB record
An operational error occurred when a Boeing 777 and a Cessna 182 transiting the Class B surface area passed within approximately 480 feet laterally and 300 feet vertically of each other. Both airplanes were under control of air traffic control at the time of the incident. Postincident investigation determined that the local controller issued a takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777 without resolving a potential conflict with the Cessna, which was southbound just west of the airport. The controller attempted to establish approved separation between the two airplanes after the Boeing departed, but was unable to do so. The pilot of the Cessna took evasive action to pass behind the Boeing. Review of tower procedures revealed deficiencies that permitted aircraft to cross the runway 28L/R departure corridor while the runways were active, facilitating conflicts of this nature.
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 777-222 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › ATC
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Seats: 400
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PW4000 SER (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: San Francisco CA at 6:12 pm
- Destination: ZBAA Beijing
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 13 | |||
| Flig | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 251 |
The factual record for the Cessna 182R from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › ATC
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Destination: kpao Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: VFR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N216UA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 OPS10IA020.