Page:CAB Accident Report, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663.pdf/6

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1.8 Aids to Navigation

There were no reported discrepancies of any involved ground navigation aids.

1.9 Communications

The departure radar controller established radio contact with EAL 663 at 1820:31. He instructed the flight to climb to 6,000 feet and report leaving 3,000. At 1821:11 EAL 663 reported[1] out of 1,000 feet and was instructed to turn left to a heading of 160 degrees.

At 1822:51 when interrogated concerning the aircraft's altitude, the flight reported 2,500 feet whereupon the DR-1 controller issued an instruction to turn left to a heading of 100 degrees and to change transponder to Code 11A. At 1823:34 EAL 663 was instructed to climb to 8,000 feet and to turn right to a heading of 150 degrees. At 1823:41 the flight acknowledged the last clearance and reported leaving 3,000 feet. At 1824:27 in response to another query from the DR-1 controller, EAL 663 reported leaving 3,500 feet at which time the flight was instructed to turn left to a beading of 090 degrees. At 1825:04 in response to still another inquiry concerning its altitude LAS 663 reported "Out of 3,700." Seventeen seconds later at 1825:21 the DR-1 controller instructed the flight as follows: ". . . turn right now, heading one seven zero to Victor one thirty nine, traffic 2 o'clock five miles northeast-bound below you." The flight responded that they had the traffic and were turning to the assigned heading.

At 1825:36 in response to an instruction from the DR-1 controller to contact the New York Center on 125.1 mcs. the flight's last transmission was "Good night."

Pan American Flight 212 (PAA 212) was on a Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to JFK Airport At 1818:38 the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center initiated a handoff to the Kennedy Approach Control Arrival Radar Handoff (ARHO) controller and advised that PAA 212 was then three miles north of the Dutch Intersection. ARHO accepted radar identity of the target and instructed the New York Center to have the traffic turn (from 330 degrees) to a 350-degree heading.

At 1819:31 the handoff was completed when PAA 212 established radio contact with Kennedy Approach Control (AR-3), reported leaving 10,000 for 4,000 feet, and advised that the flight had received. Information Golf.[2] At 1819:46 PAA 212 was instructed to maintain its present heading for a vector to the final approach course (for runway 31R) and cleared to descend to 3,000 feet.

At 1820:08 the AR-3 controller requested PAA 212 to report leaving 6,000 feet. This report was made at 1822:45.

At 1823:39 the AR-3 controller requested PAA 212 to report reaching 3,000 feet. At 1824:19 the controller instructed the flight to turn right heading 020 degrees and the message concluded as follows: ". . . say again your altitude,

  1. The voice making all transmissions from EAL 663 was identified as that of the first officer.
  2. Information for arriving aircraft transcribed and broadcast on the voice feature of the Colt's Neck, New Jersey and Deer Park, New York VORTACs.