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Accidents · NTSB OPS11IA101 · Final report

Boeing 737-832 and Airbus A319 incident near 66 Nm East Of Hobe Sound, Florida, November 11, 2010

On November 11, 2010 at about 10:31 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 737-832 (N3742C) and Airbus A319 (HK4553), were involved in the same incident near 66 Nm East Of Hobe Sound, Florida. The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

Air traffic controllers did not maintain required awareness of available flight data and aircraft positions, resulting in issuance of an incorrect altitude clearance that caused a loss of standard instrument flight rules separation between the two aircraft.
The air traffic controllers’ failure to maintain required awareness of available flight data and aircraft positions, resulting in issuance of an incorrect altitude clearance that caused a loss of standard instrument flight rules separation between the two aircraft.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
November 11, 2010 · about 10:31 pm local time
Place
66 Nm East Of Hobe Sound, Florida
Type
Incident
Injuries
The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft 1
Boeing 737-832 · all 737-832s on the register
Registration
N3742C · registry record · serial 30835
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
Aircraft 2
Airbus A319 111 · all A319s on the register
Registration
HK4553 · no longer on the register
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)

The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 737-832 final · quoted from the NTSB record

A Boeing 737-800 and an Airbus 319 were transiting Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) airspace on nearly opposite direction crossing courses when a loss of separation between the two airplanes occurred. The pilots of both airplanes received resolution advisories from the airplanes’ Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems and took the advised actions to reestablish required separation. The airplanes were operating in the same Miami ARTCC sector, but were under the control of two different air traffic controllers when the loss of separation occurred. The first controller, who was originally handling the Airbus 319, stated that, although the airplane had not yet left the incident sector, he had transferred responsibility for the airplane to the second controller. After doing so, the first controller dropped the data tag for the Airbus 319 from his radar display and became occupied with other duties. One of those additional duties involved handling the Boeing 737 that had just entered the incident sector, transferred by the controller who was now responsible for handling the Airbus 319. The first controller did not maintain awareness of the Airbus's position, and he did not notice the impending conflict with the Boeing 737 when he subsequently cleared that airplane to climb to the Airbus’ altitude. The second controller, who transferred control of the Boeing 737 to the first controller, had dropped the data tag for that airplane from his radar display when it left his sector. He was not aware of the conflict between the two airplanes until the radar conflict alert activated. At that time, both controllers attempted to resolve the situation, but a loss of separation occurred. At the closest point, the airplanes were within about 1,800 feet vertically and 2.81 miles laterally of each other. Federal Aviation Administration standards require minimum separation of either 2,000 feet vertically or 5 miles laterally between aircraft operating on instrument flight rules.

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 Airbus A319 final · quoted from the NTSB record

A Boeing 737-800 and an Airbus 319 were transiting Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) airspace on nearly opposite direction crossing courses when a loss of separation between the two airplanes occurred. The pilots of both airplanes received resolution advisories from the airplanes’ Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems and took the advised actions to reestablish required separation. The airplanes were operating in the same Miami ARTCC sector, but were under the control of two different air traffic controllers when the loss of separation occurred. The first controller, who was originally handling the Airbus 319, stated that although the airplane had not yet left the incident sector, he had transferred responsibility for the airplane to the second controller. After doing so, the first controller dropped the data tag for the Airbus 319 from his radar display and became occupied with other duties. One of those additional duties involved handling the Boeing 737 that had just entered the incident sector, transferred by the controller who was now responsible for handling the Airbus 319. The first controller did not maintain awareness of the Airbus's position, and he did not notice the impending conflict with the Boeing 737 when he subsequently cleared that airplane to climb to the Airbus’ altitude. The second controller, who transferred control of the Boeing 737 to the first controller, had dropped the data tag for that airplane from his radar display when it left his sector. He was not aware of the conflict between the two airplanes until the radar conflict alert activated. At that time, both controllers attempted to resolve the situation, but a loss of separation occurred. At the closest point, the airplanes were within about 1,800 feet vertically and 2.81 miles laterally of each other. Federal Aviation Administration standards require minimum separation of either 2,000 feet vertically or 5 miles laterally between aircraft operating on instrument flight rules.

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 737-832 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (cruise) defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › ATC personnel
  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › ATC personnel
  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › ATC personnel

The aircraft

  • Seats: 189
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine 1: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
  • Engine 2: Cfm Intl. CFM56 SERIES (turbojet); 0 hours total
  • Operator: Delta Air Lines INC

The flight

  • Departed from: TNCA Oranjestad
  • Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
  • Flight plan: IFR
  • A second pilot was aboard

Weather at the time

  • Light: dusk
  • Sky: not recorded; not recorded
  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

The factual record for the Airbus A319 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during enroute (cruise) defining event

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › ATC personnel
  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › ATC personnel
  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › ATC personnel

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Operator: Avianca Airlines

The flight

  • Departed from: IAD
  • Destination: SKBO Bogotá
  • Flight plan: IFR
  • A second pilot was aboard

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.

Other NTSB records under N3742C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time

1987-07-21CHI87FA176 · accident near Chicago, IL · destroyed · fatal

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.