Boeing 707-321B N320MJ

Summary

On 20 September 1990 at about 14:07 local time, a Boeing 707-321B registered N320MJ was involved in an accident near Marana, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 September 1990 at 14:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Marana, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Pinal Airpark

Coordinates

32.4508, -111.2903

Aircraft

Boeing 707-321B

Registration

N320MJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marana → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA90MA055

1 person died.

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO USE A CHECKLIST. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE FAA'S INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATION, THE FAA'S INSUFFICIENT STANDARDS/REQUIREMENTS, THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCES, AND HIS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES RPRTD 1ST ATMT TO TKOF WAS ABORTED AFTER ACFT SWERVED LEFT & RGT. ON 2ND TRY, ACFT LIFTED OFF ABT HALFWAY DWN RWY. AFTER LIFT-OFF, IT ROLLED RGT, RGT WING HIT GND & ACFT CRASHED. INV REVEALED RUDDER TRIM WAS 7.9 TO 8.3 UNITS (79% TO 83%) NOSE RGT. SIMULATOR TESTS WITH THAT SETTING RESULTED IN CONSISTENT RGT WING COLLISIONS WITH GND AFTER LIFT-OFF. CREW'S CHECKLIST REFERRED TO MECH CHECKLIST FOR CRITICAL ITEMS TO CHECK BFR TKOF. MECH CHECKLIST & 50 OF 54 FLT INST HAD BEEN REMOVED FM ACFT, LEAVING 2 AIRSPEED INDCRS, ALTIMETER & STBY GYRO HORIZON. IN 60 SIMULATED TKOFS IN THIS CONFIGURATION, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF INSUFFICIENT ATTITUDINAL REF TO RECOGNIZE ROLLING OF ACFT BFR SUFFICIENT ALT WAS ATTAINED. FAA'S DESIGNATED AIRWORTHINESS REP (DAR) HAD INSPD ACFT 3 DAYS BFR & ISSUED FERRY PERMIT. HE LACKED FAA MECH CERT & EXPERIENCE WITH LARGE ACFT. FAA ORDER 8000.62 & AC 183.33 LACKED SPEC GUIDANCE FOR SELECTION, TRNG & OVERSIGHT OF DAR ACTIVITY. ALSO, LACK OF GUIDANCE CONCERNING MIN EQUIP LIST. PLT NOT CURRENT OR MED QUALIFIED TO FLY ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.