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Atlas / NTSB / NYC89IA028

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event NYC89IA028

1988-11-13 BOSTON, Massachusetts, United States Airport · BOS None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER TO DETECT THE RED T ON THE DEPARTURE STRIP ON PRE659 WHEN HE CLEARED HIM INTO POSITION AND HOLD. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE LACK OF POSITIVE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE GROUND CONTROLLER AND LOCAL CONTROLLER.

Factual narrative

THE TOWER CONTROLLER CLEARED PAN AM FLT 543 (BOEING 727, N555PE) INTO POSITION & HOLD ON RWY 22R, THEN HE CLEARED THE 727 FOR TAKEOFF. THE CONTROLLER THEN CLEARED PRECISION FLT 649 (DORNIER DO-228, N238RP) INTO POSITION & HOLD ON RUNWAY 22R. THE CONTROLLER DID NOT REALIZE THE DORNIER WAS AT AN INTERSECTION, 4200 FT DOWN THE RUNWAY, RATHER THAN AT THE APPROACH END. HE HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE TAKEOFF STRIP WAS MARKED WITH A RED 'T' INDICATING AN INTERSECTION TAKEOFF. ALSO, THE GROUND CONTROLLER DID NOT ADEQUATELY COORDINATE WITH THE LOCAL CONTROLLER, WHEN HE CLEARED THE DORNIER TO TAXI TO THE INTERSECTION FOR AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE. THE 727 FLIGHT CREW SAW THE DORNIER ON THE RUNWAY & MADE AN EARLY ROTATION, MISSING THE DORNIER. THERE WAS NO CONTACT BETWEEN AIRCRAFT OR INJURIES. THE 727 FLT CREW RETURNED FOR A LANDING TO CHECK THE ENGINES, WHICH HAD BEEN OVERBOOSTED AFTER MAXIMUM POWER WAS APPLIED TO CLEAR THE DORNIER. THE DORNIER WAS TAXIED CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY & BACK TO THE RAMP TO ASSURE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_NYC89IA028.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.