Airbus Industrie A319-132 and Boeing 747 incident near Anchorage, Alaska, May 21, 2010
On May 21, 2010 at about 8:10 am local time, 2 aircraft, Airbus Industrie A319-132 (N810AW) and Boeing 747 (LXTCV), were involved in the same incident near Anchorage, Alaska (Ted Stevens International Airp airport). No one was hurt; 140 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The approach controller's delayed transfer of communications on the A319 to the tower controller and failure to account for the aircraft's speed when he directed the crew to turn north. Contributing to the incident was the 747 crew's transfer of radio communications to departure control prior to being directed to do so by the tower controller.
The approach controller's delayed transfer of communications on the A319 to the tower controller and failure to account for the aircraft's speed when he directed the crew to turn north. Contributing to the incident was the 747 crew's transfer of radio communications to departure control prior to being directed to do so by the tower controller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2010 · about 8:10 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Ted Stevens International Airp · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 140 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Airbus Industrie A319-132 · all A319-132s on the register
- Registration
- N810AW · registry record · serial 1116
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing 747 400 · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- LXTCV · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative for the Airbus Industrie A319-132 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airport was configured to use runways 14 and runway 25R, which intersect. An Airbus A319 had been cleared for a visual approach to land on runway 14 but executed a missed approach. During the missed approach procedure and follow-on instructions by air traffic control, the flight paths of the A319 and a Boeing 747, departing from runway 25R, converged. The crew of the A319 received a traffic collision avoidance system resolution advisory during the incident. According to radar data, the A319 and the 747 came with 100 feet vertically and .33 miles laterally. Postincident investigation determined that the approach controller did not direct a timely transfer of communications on the A319 to the control tower and did not account for the aircraft's speed when he directed the A319 to turn north. The above average approach speed of the A319 resulted in the airplane overflying runway 25R instead of turning inside the runway. Additionally, the crew of the 747 transferred radio communications to departure control prior to being directed to do so by the control tower, resulting in the 747 not receiving time-critical traffic and control information from the tower controller.
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 747 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airport was configured to use runways 14 and runway 25R, which intersect. An Airbus A319 had been cleared for a visual approach to land on runway 14 but executed a missed approach. During the missed approach procedure and follow-on instructions by air traffic control, the flight paths of the A319 and a Boeing 747, departing from runway 25R, converged. The crew of the A319 received a traffic collision avoidance system resolution advisory during the incident. According to radar data, the A319 and the 747 came with 100 feet vertically and .33 miles laterally. Postincident investigation determined that the approach controller did not direct a timely transfer of communications on the A319 to the control tower and did not account for the aircraft's speed when he directed the A319 to turn north. The above average approach speed of the A319 resulted in the airplane overflying runway 25R instead of turning inside the runway. Additionally, the crew of the 747 transferred radio communications to departure control prior to being directed to do so by the control tower, resulting in the 747 not receiving time-critical traffic and control information from the tower controller.
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 Airbus Industrie A319-132 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › ATC personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Cabin crew
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › (general) › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Seats: 179
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Iae V2500SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Iae V2500SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Usairways Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Pheonix Sky Har AZ at 3:01 am
- Destination: PANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 11,584 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PANC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 3 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 133 |
The factual record for the Boeing 747 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › ATC personnel
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Cabin crew
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › (general) › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: PANC Anchorage AK at 8:10 am
- Destination: ORD Chicago O'Hare IL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25R, 10,600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.