Investigation Summary
On the night of June 20, 1985, the Birmingham airport tower was staffed by two controllers and one assistant, a configuration that lacked a dedicated supervisor or coordinator to manage workload. At 20:45, a military RF-4C (Dixie 06) coordinated a low approach and full-stop landing for Runway 05. At 20:54:19, the local controller instructed a Beech E18S (N19T) to taxi into position and hold on the same runway. The controller then became distracted by traffic using Runway 36, which she later described as busier than normal for night operations. Because the Beechcraft was positioned on the runway in the dark, and the controller's attention was diverted, the presence of N19T was forgotten. The RF-4C, continuing its cleared landing sequence, struck the Beechcraft from behind. The collision destroyed both aircraft and resulted in a post-crash fire. The pilot of the Beechcraft was killed, while the two crew members in the RF-4C sustained minor injuries.
Final Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause was the local controller's failure to maintain visual separation and identify the aircraft visually. Contributing factors included the controller's diverted attention due to mental performance overload and the lack of adequate supervision in the tower cab to detect and mitigate controller overload.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Smithair, Inc. N19T — Beech E18S · N19T
USAF / Alabama Air National Guard Dixie 06 — McDonnell Douglas RF-4C · AFNG
Crew Experience
Captain
Pilot of the Beech E18S.
Pilot
Front seat pilot of the RF-4C.
Systems & Failure Modes
Air Traffic Control Supervision
The absence of a supervisor or coordinator in the tower cab prevented the detection of controller overload during a period of higher-than-normal traffic.
Interesting Facts
- 01The local controller forgot the Beech E18S was occupying the runway.
- 02The tower was staffed by two controllers and one assistant, but no supervisor was present.
- 03The collision occurred at night under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).
- 04The Beech E18S was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
- 05The RF-4C crew sustained only minor injuries despite the destruction of their aircraft.
Safety Actions & Advisories
ATC Supervision and Staffing Review
Following the investigation, the NTSB emphasized the need for adequate supervision in tower cabs during periods of high traffic volume. The FAA reviewed staffing requirements to ensure a supervisor or coordinator is available to detect and mitigate controller workload saturation, particularly during night operations where visual identification of aircraft on the ground is more difficult.
Location
NO VERIFIED COORDINATES · This position predates coordinate provenance tracking. Treat it as an approximate marker for the area, not the accident site. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.
Reported location: Birmingham, Alabama, United States