McDonnell Douglas MD80 N786TW

Summary

On 8 March 2017 at about 19:55 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD80 registered N786TW, operated by Ameristar Air Cargo, Inc., was involved in an accident near Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. 116 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 March 2017 at 19:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Willow Run International Airpo (KYIP)

Coordinates

42.2439, -83.5425

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD80

Registration

N786TW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1992

Engines

2

Operator

Ameristar Air Cargo, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ypsilanti → Chantilly

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA17FA076

1 person had minor injuries.

the jammed condition of the airplane's right elevator, which resulted from exposure to localized, dynamic wind while the airplane was parked and rendered the airplane unable to rotate during takeoff. Contributing to the accident were (1) the effect of a large structure on the gusting surface wind at the airplane's parked location, which led to turbulent gust loads on the right elevator sufficient to jam it, even though the horizontal surface wind speed was below the certification design limit and maintenance inspection criteria for the airplane, and (2) the lack of a means to enable the flight crew to detect a jammed elevator during preflight checks for the Boeing MD-83 airplane. Contributing to the survivability of the accident was the captain's timely and appropriate decision to reject the takeoff, the check airman's disciplined adherence to standard operating procedures after the captain called for the rejected takeoff, and the dimensionally compliant runway safety area where the overrun occurred.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-19/01.   On March 8, 2017, about 1452 eastern standard time, Ameristar Air Cargo, Inc., dba Ameristar Charters, flight 9363, a Boeing MD-83 airplane, N786TW, overran the departure end of runway 23L at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan, after the captain executed a rejected takeoff. The 110 passengers and 6 flight crewmembers (two airline transport pilots and four flight attendants) evacuated the airplane via emergency escape slides. One passenger received a minor injury, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as an on-demand charter flight and was destined for Washington Dulles International Airport, Dulles, Virginia. Visual flight rules conditions prevailed at YIP at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.