McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N961VJ

Summary

On 21 February 1986 at about 13:59 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered N961VJ, operated by Usair, was involved in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. 23 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 February 1986 at 13:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Erie, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Erie Intl (KERI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31

Registration

N961VJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Usair

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Toronto, Canada → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA86AA018

1 person 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

DRG ARRIVAL, THE CREW OF US AIR FLT 499 LNDD ON RWY 24, WHICH WAS CVRD WITH SNW. RPRTDLY, WHILE LNDG, THE ACFT TOUCHED DWN APRX 1800 TO 2000' BYND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALTHO ARMED, THE SPOILERS DID NOT AUTO-DEPLOY, SO THE CAPT OPERATEDTHEM MANUALLY. HE LOWERED THE ACFT'S NOSE, ACTUATED REVERSE THRUST & APPLIED BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE END OF THE RWY, RAN OVR A RWY END ID LGT, STRUCK A FENCE & CAME TO REST STRADDLING A ROAD. THE CREW HAD PLANNED ON MAKING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 6, BUT THE RVR WAS ONLY 2800' & A MIN RVR OF 4000' WAS REQD FOR THAT RWY. THE CREW ELECTED TO LND ON RWY 24, SINCE 1/2 MI VIS WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THAT RWY. HOWEVER, THE APCH WAS MADE WITH A QTRG TAIL WND & APRX 10 KTS ABV VREF. TAIL WND LNDGS WERE NOT AUTHORIZED ON RWY 24 IN WET/SLIPPERY CONDS. THE RWY BRAKING ACTION WAS RPRTD AS FAIR-TO-POOR. THE PLT'S HANDBOOK CAUTIONED THE CREW TO MONITOR THE SPOILERS WHEN LNDG ON SLIPPERY RWYS, SINCE THE SPOILERS AUTO-DEPLOY ONLY WITH WHEEL SPIN-UP OR WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL IS ON THE GROUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.