Collision between Brockway Air Flight 993 and Icarus 60

Casualties unknown • Syracuse, NY, US

A collision occurred between a Beechcraft BE-1900C and a Mitsubishi MU-2B at an intersection of taxiways during landing operations.

What happened

On the day of the accident, Brockway Air Flight 993, a Beechcraft BE-1900C (registration N7254R), was cleared to land on Runway 28. At the same time, Icarus 60, a Mitsubishi MU-2B (registration N638MA), was taxiing toward Runway 28 via parallel taxiway Alpha. The weather conditions were partially obscured with a ceiling of 200 feet, visibility of 3/4 mile, light drizzle, and fog, while winds remained calm.

During the landing sequence, the crew of Flight 993 was instructed to turn right when able and to contact ground control once they had vacated the runway. At 12:16:53 EST, the first officer of Flight 993 notified ground control that the aircraft was off the runway. At 12:17:00, the controller instructed Flight 993 to give way to the Mitsubishi aircraft and then taxi to the ramp via taxiway Echo. Shortly thereafter, an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) activated as the two aircraft collided at the intersection of the taxiways.

The investigation

The investigation determined that the first officer of Flight 993 performed the landing, exited the runway onto taxiway Echo, and began to cross taxiway Alpha. Although taxiway Echo angled off the runway, it was not a high-speed taxiway; however, the captain of Flight 993 believed it was.

Regarding the ground controller, the view of taxiway Alpha was partially obstructed by obstacles, and the controller failed to advise the crew of Icarus 60 of the position of Flight 993 or instruct them to hold short of the intersection. Additionally, the captain of Icarus 60 had looked away toward another aircraft just moments before the collision.

Probable cause

The collision was caused by the failure of the ground controller to advise the taxiing aircraft of the position of the landing aircraft and the failure to instruct the taxiing aircraft to hold short of the intersection, compounded by the fact that neither crew saw the other aircraft until shortly before impact.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1989-03-31 Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 accident near Syracuse, NY?

A collision occurred between a Beechcraft BE-1900C and a Mitsubishi MU-2B at an intersection of taxiways during landing operations.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1989-03-31 involved a Mitsubishi MU-2B-35, registration N638MA, operated by Eagle Aero, at Syracuse, NY.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The collision was caused by the failure of the ground controller to advise the taxiing aircraft of the position of the landing aircraft and the failure to instruct the taxiing aircraft to hold short of the intersection, compounded by the fact that neither crew saw the other aircraft until shortly before impact.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001213X27983. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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