Douglas DC-9-31 N994Z

Summary

On 20 December 1983 at about 19:17 local time, a Douglas DC-9-31 registered N994Z was involved in an accident near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. 87 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 December 1983 at 19:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Joe Foss Field (KF3D)

Coordinates

43.5816, -96.7409

Aircraft

Douglas DC-9-31

Registration

N994Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sioux City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA84AA012

2 people had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING LANDING THE CREW ACQUIRED VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE GROUND & APCH LIGHTS ABOUT 200 FT AGL, FOLLOWED BY VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE RWY. SINCE THE ATIS REPORTED BLOWING SNOW, THE CREW EXPECTED TO SEE, & WAS NOT SURPRISED TO SEE, SNOW BLOWING ACROSS THE RWY ABOUT 2,000 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD. AT ABOUT 2,200 FT DOWN THE RWY THE ACFT ENTERED A CLOUD OF SNOW, & THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A LARGE SNOW SWEEPING VEHICLE WHICH WAS TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION & TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWY CENTERLINE. THE ACFT'S RIGHT WING SEPARATED & IT SWERVED OFF THE RWY. NEITHER THE APPROACH CONTROLLER NOR THE LOCAL CONTROLLER ADVISED THE FLT OF SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS, NOR DID THE LOCAL CONTROLLER COMMUNICATE WITH THE SWEEPER AFTER HE TOOK THE HAND-OFF OF THE FLT FROM APPROACH CONTROL. HE ALSO STATED HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE SWEEPER WAS WHEN HE CLEARED THE FLT TO LAND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.