An amateur-built aircraft incident near Arlington, Virginia, March 23, 2011
On March 23, 2011 at about 4:04 am local time, a an amateur-built aircraft was involved in an incident near Arlington, Virginia (Washington National Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tower controller's loss of consciousness induced by lack of sleep, fatigue resulting from working successive midnight shifts, and air traffic control scheduling practices.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2011 · about 4:04 am local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Arlington, Virginia · Washington National Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- An amateur-built aircraft
- Registration
- not recorded
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Between approximately 0004 and 0028 local time, an air traffic control service interruption occurred at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when two air carrier aircraft, a helicopter, an airport operations vehicle, and controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration's Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control were unable to establish contact with the supervisory controller working alone in the control tower. Two air carrier aircraft landed during the period without tower contact. Postincident investigation revealed that the controller on duty had the necessary preconditions for the development of fatigue at the time of the event, specifically acute sleep loss in the 24 hours before the event and circadian disruption as a result of working the midnight shift.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Air traffic event defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Other loss of consciousness › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Lack of sleep › ATC personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Fatigue due to work schedule › ATC personnel
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Scheduling › Scheduling of personnel › ATC
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: FAA Washington Flight Program
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from DCA
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on August 25, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Operations 2 - AAL1012 Captain Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Operations 2 - AAL1012 First Officer Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Operations 2 - UAL628T Crew Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Operations 2 - United Flight Operations Manual Excerpts | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Operations 2 - United Ops Specification C080 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Operations 2 - Flight Operations Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | ATC 3 - Potomac Tracon Transcripts | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 8 | ATC 3 - Dca Transcript | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 9 | ATC 3 - FAA National Guidance Night Operations | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 10 | ATC 3 - Mount Vernon Charted Visual Approach | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | ATC 3 - UAL628T radar Data | text file | View Download |
| 12 | ATC 3 - AAL1012 radar Data | text file | View Download |
| 13 | ATC 3 - Flight Tracks of AAL1012 and UAL628T Near Dca | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 14 | ATC 3 - Dca Airport Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Virginia 1,361 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Virginia 5,972 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/OPS11IA401.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.