McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N972VJ
29 October 1990 · Columbus, Ohio, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 29 October 1990 at about 22:30 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered N972VJ, operated by Usair, was involved in an accident near Columbus, Ohio, United States. 49 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio, United States
- Nearest airport
- Port Columbus
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
- Registration
- N972VJ
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Usair
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Newark
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- NYC91LA021
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
Probable cause
THE DC-9 PILOTS FAILED TO SEE THE CESSNA 310 AND ALTER THEIR TAXI PATH TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
AS THE DC-9 APPROACHED TAXIWAY C-4 THE CAPTAIN WAS ADVISED BY THE FIRST OFFICER THERE WAS A AIRPLANE OFF TO THEIR ELEVEN O'CLOCK POSITION. THE CAPTAIN APPLIED BRAKES, BUT COULD NOT STOP BEFORE HITTING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF A CESSNA 310. THE DC-9 CAPTAIN SAID HE DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHTS ON THE CESSNA. THE CESSNA PILOT SAID HE WAS SITTING IN POSITION TO TAKE THE RUNWAY FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET FROM THE HOLD LINE WITH HIS ROTATING BEACON AND NAVIGATION LIGHTS ON. THE FAA DETERMINED THE DISTANCE FROM THE HOLD LINE ON TAXIWAY C-4 TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE TAXIWAY WAS 90'. HALF THE WIDTH OF THE DC-9 AND THE LENGTH OF THE CESSNA, PLUS THE 3 FEET FROM THE HOLD LINE (CESSNA'S POSITION), LEFT LITTLE ROOM FOR SEPARATION OF THE AIRPLANES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 DC-9-31 | N972VJ | Usair | Minor |
| Cessna 310 310 | N6160X | New Creation Inc | Substantial |
Other McDonnell Douglas DC-9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 | Romulus, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 8 |
| 18 Jan 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States | Eastern Air Lines | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 May 1989 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 1989 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1990 | Bellanca 17-31A | Wilmington, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 May 1990 | Rockwell 114 | Willoughby Hill, Ohio, United States | Finder's Diversified, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jan 1990 | Learjet 23 | Ansonia, Ohio, United States | Aero Smith Leasing | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Jun 1990 | Piper PA28-140 | Wadsworth, Ohio, United States | Ralph D. Brown | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Jul 1990 | Cessna 150M | New Knoxville, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1990 | Cessna C-152A | Yellowsprings, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |