McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N978Z

Summary

On 12 March 1993 at about 05:40 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered N978Z, operated by Trans World Airlines, Inc., was involved in an accident near Saint Louis, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 March 1993 at 05:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Lambert-St. Louis Intl (STL)

Coordinates

38.7606, -90.4199

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31

Registration

N978Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Trans World Airlines, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI93FA109

Nobody was injured.

THE CAPTAIN'S IMPROPER USE OF THRUST REVERSERS AND EXCESSIVE USE OF ENGINE POWER. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE CROSSWIND AND THE FIRST OFFICER'S FAILURE TO RAISE THE FLAPS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING THE 1ST OFFICER'S INITIAL TRAINING, THE CAPT ELECTED TO DEMONSTRATE 'A MORE EFFICIENT REVERSING TECHNIQUE' USING A TOUCH-AND-GO. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE 4,000-FT MARKER DRAGGING THE LEFT WING AND LOWER LEFT REVERSER BUCKET. IT THEN CONTINUED FOR 2,000 FT BEFORE COMING TO REST. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT NEITHER THRUST REVERSER WAS STOWED, AND THAT THE FLAPS WERE AT FULL DEPLOYMENT. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS LETTER #4 INDICATES THAT REVERSER BUCKETS WILL NOT STOW WITH EPR ABOVE APPROX 1.2. THE DFDR SHOWED NO INDICATION THAT THE AIRPLANE COMPLETELY LIFTED OFF THE GROUND ONCE THE INITIAL LANDING WAS MADE, AND IT INDICATED A CONSTANT DECAY OF AIRSPEED FROM THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN UNTIL THE AIRPLANE STOPPED. THERE WAS A RIGHT CROSSWIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WHEN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL INDICATES THAT INCREASING AMOUNTS OF REVERSE THRUST SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.