Airbus A320-211 N331NW

Summary

On 27 April 1995 at about 21:35 local time, a Airbus A320-211 registered N331NW was involved in an incident near Washington, District of Columbia, United States. 108 people were on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 April 1995 at 21:35

Classification

Incident

Location

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Nearest airport

Washington National (DCA)

Coordinates

38.9101, -77.0202

Aircraft

Airbus A320-211

Registration

N331NW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95IA138

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's excessive use of the flight controls during the landing approach, the company's disregard of information provided by the airplane manufacturer, and the company's failure to identify a potentially hazardous conditions based on the information provided by the airplane manufacturer. Factors associated with the incident were the gusty wind conditions and the pilot's failure to land with full flaps.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED UNCOMMANDED ROLLS. A GO-AROUND WAS PERFORMED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ON THE SECOND APPROACH THE AIRPLANE ONCE AGAIN EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED ROLL. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED. FDR DATA SHOWS THE ROLL OSCILLATIONS WITH A MAX ROLL OF 15.5 DEGREES. DURING THIS TIME THE SIDE STICK WAS BEING MOVED BACK AND FORTH TO ITS FULL TRAVEL LIMITS. THE AIRPLANE MOVEMENTS AND THE PILOT'S ACTIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS (PIO). THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING LANDED IN CONF 3 (20 DEGREES OF FLAPS) WHICH MAKES THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE 'MORE CRISP'. IN 1993 AIRBUS PUBLISHED A TEMPORARY REVISION TO THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT CREW OPERATING MANUAL STATING THE AIRPLANE SHOULD NOT BE LANDED IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS (GUSTY WINDS AND TURBULENCE) IN CONF 3 DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PIO. NORTHWEST AIRLINES HAD NOT INCORPORATED THIS INFORMATION IN THEIR OPERATING MANUALS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.