MARIETTA, GA, USA
N8840E
BOEING 727-225
USAF
BOEING KC-135A
EASTERN AIRLINES FLT 92, A BOEING 727, N8840E, AND AN AIR FORCE KC-135, REG #60-0330, CALL SIGN FOWL 24, WERE INVOLVED IN A NEAR COLLISION WHILE BOTH ACFT WERE MAINTAINING FL350. THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THAT DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE KC-135 PASSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIS ACFT AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1/4 MI, CROSSING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. ALSO, HE REPORTED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR HIM TO AVOID WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE KC-135. THE KC-135 FLT CREW WERE UNAWARE OF THE OCCURRENCE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING FLT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER JACKSONVILLE CENTER HAD INSTRUCTED THE KC-135 CREW TO CONTACT ATLANTA CENTER DURING A HAND-OFF. THE KC-135 COPLT THOUGHT HE HAD COMPLIED, BUT NO CALLS WERE RECORDED UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE ATLANTA CONTROLLER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE KC-135 IN HIS ASSIGNED AIRSPACE UNTIL AFTER THE CAPTAIN OF FLT 92 REPORTED THE NEAR COLLISION. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT RADAR DATA ON THE KC-135 WAS AVAILABLE & DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROLLER'S SCOPE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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