Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705

Last updated

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705
Northwest Airlines Boeing 707 Groves N724US.jpg
N724US, the accident aircraft seen in 1962 at Atlanta
Occurrence
DateFebruary 12, 1963
SummaryIn-flight breakup following loss of control
Site Everglades,
Monroe County, Florida,
west of Miami
25°33′54″N80°52′59″W / 25.565°N 80.883°W / 25.565; -80.883
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing 720-051B
Operator Northwest Orient Airlines
Registration N724US
Flight origin Miami International Airport, Florida, United States
Stopover O'Hare International Airport, Illinois, United States
Destination Portland International Airport, Oregon, United States
Occupants43
Passengers35
Crew8
Fatalities43
Survivors0

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705 was a scheduled passenger flight operated on February 12, 1963, that broke up in midair and crashed into the Florida Everglades shortly after takeoff from Miami International Airport in a severe thunderstorm. [1] [2] [3] [4] The plane was destined for Portland, Oregon, via Chicago, Spokane, and Seattle. [5]

Contents

Aircraft

N724US, was a Boeing 720B manufactured July 14, 1961. Since then it had accumulated 4,684 flight hours. It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1 engines. [6]

Crew

Captain Roy W. Almquist, aged 47, had accumulated 17,385 flight hours, 150 of which were on the Boeing 720. He had type ratings in the DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed L-188 Electra and the Boeing 720. [6]

First officer Robert J. Feller, aged 38, had accumulated 11,799 flight hours, 1,093 of which were on the Boeing 720. He had type ratings in the DC-4, DC-6, DC-7 and the Boeing 720. [6]

Second Officer Allen R. Friesen, aged 29, had accumulated 4,853 flight hours, 523 of which were on the Boeing 720. [6]

Accident

Prior to departing from Miami in the early afternoon, the Northwest Orient flight crew questioned the ground controller at the airport about the departure routes being used, and the controller replied that most flights were departing "either through a southwest climb or a southeast climb and then back over the top of it." [7]

After the Boeing 720 lifted off from Runway 27L, helmed by captain Roy Almquist, [8] it made a left turn, based on radar vectors from Miami Departure Control, to avoid areas of anticipated turbulence associated with thunderstorm activity. Another flight had followed the same guidance shortly before the jet took off.

While maintaining 5,000 feet (1,500 m) and a heading of 300 degrees, Flight 705 contacted controllers and requested clearance to climb to a higher altitude. After a discussion between the flight and the radar departure controller about the storm activity, and while clearance to climb was being coordinated with the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center, the flight advised "Ah-h we're in the clear now. We can see it out ahead ... looks pretty bad."

At 13:43 EST, Flight 705 was cleared to climb to flight level 250 (25,000 feet (7,600 m)). They responded, "OK ahhh, we'll make a left turn about thirty degrees here and climb..." The controller asked if 270 degrees was their selected climb-out heading, and they replied that this would take them "... out in the open again..." Controllers granted the jet clearance accordingly. Following some discussion about the severity of the turbulence, which was described as moderate to heavy, the flight advised, "OK, you better run the rest of them off the other way then."

At 13:45, control of Flight 705 was transferred to Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. There were communication difficulties, although after the jet was provided with a different frequency to use, the flight crew established contact with Miami ARTCC. Several minutes after contact was established, the jet entered a severe updraft. The jet initially reacted with a nose-down maneuver, to which the pilots probably reacted with a pitch-up. This caused its altitude to begin increasing with a rate of climb gradually increasing to approximately 9,000 feet per minute (2,700 m/min). This caused the airspeed to drop from 270 to 215 knots (311 to 247 mph; 500 to 398 km/h), which prompted the captain to apply full nose down elevator and trim. Following this input, the rate of climb decreased through zero when the altitude peaked momentarily at just above 19,285 feet (5,878 m). As the peak altitude was approached, the vertical accelerations changed rapidly from 1G to about -2G. [9]

In the next seven seconds, the negative acceleration continued to increase at a slower rate, with several fluctuations, to a mean value of about -2.8G, and the jet began diving toward the ground with increasing rapidity, exceeding the 90° angle. As the descent continued, the acceleration trace went from the high negative peak to 1.5G, as the pilot tried to pull the plane out of the dive, pulling on the control column and applying trim.

Below 10,000 feet (3,000 m), the forward fuselage broke up as a result of the forces of the dive. The main failures in both wings and horizontal stabilizers were in a downward direction, and virtually symmetrical. The forward fuselage broke upward and the vertical stabilizer failed to the left. All four engines generally separated before the debris of the aircraft fell in an unpopulated area of the Everglades National Park, 37 miles (60 km) west-southwest of Miami International Airport. [6] [10] [11]

Investigation

Upset

The force required to move the elevators downward topped at 10°, and as the angle increased, the force required lowered. The negative Gs caused by the pitchdown would have lifted the pilots from their seats, blurring their vision and making them unable to hold the yoke, which was in the full forward position due to the increased sensitivity. Due to this it was next to impossible to start recovering before reaching 320 knots (the maximum airspeed for recovery).

Probable cause

The final report on the crash determined the cause of the accident to be: [6]

The unfavorable interaction of severe vertical air drafts and large longitudinal control displacements, resulting in a longitudinal upset from which a successful recovery was not made.

See Also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Airlines Flight 585</span> 1991 aviation accident in Colorado

United Airlines Flight 585 was a scheduled passenger flight on March 3, 1991, from Denver to Colorado Springs, Colorado, carrying 20 passengers and 5 crew members on board. The plane experienced a rudder hardover while on final approach to runway 35 at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, causing the plane to roll over and enter an uncontrolled dive. All 25 people on board the 737 were killed on impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pan Am Flight 214</span> 1963 aviation accident

Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Baltimore, and then to Philadelphia in the United States. On December 8, 1963, while flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia, the Boeing 707-121 crashed near Elkton, Maryland. All 81 passengers and crew on the plane were killed. The crash was Pan Am's first fatal accident with the 707, which it had introduced to its fleet five years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Air Lines Flight 663</span> 1965 aviation accident in the USA

Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 was a domestic passenger flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, with scheduled stopovers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York; Richmond, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina. On the night of February 8, 1965, the aircraft serving the flight, a Douglas DC-7, crashed near Jones Beach State Park, New York, just after taking off from JFK Airport. All 79 passengers and five crew aboard died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Airlines Flight 1713</span> 1987 aviation accident

Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was a commercial airline flight that crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on November 15, 1987. The Douglas DC-9 airliner, operated by Continental Airlines, was making a scheduled flight to Boise, Idaho. Twenty-five passengers and three crew members died in the crash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145</span> 2005 aviation accident

Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145(SO1145/OSL1145) was a scheduled Nigerian domestic passenger flight from Nigeria's capital of Abuja (ABV) to Port Harcourt (PHC). At about 14:08 local time on 10 December 2005, Flight 1145 from Abuja crash-landed at Port Harcourt International Airport. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 with 110 people on board, slammed into the ground and burst into flames. Immediately after the crash, seven survivors were recovered and taken to hospitals, but only two people survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701</span> 2004 aviation accident

On October 14, 2004, Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 crashed near Jefferson City, Missouri, while flying from Little Rock National Airport to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. The two pilots, the only occupants, were killed. Federal investigators determined the crash was due to the pilots' unprofessional behavior and disregard for training and procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Eagle Flight 4184</span> 1994 plane crash in Indiana, US

American Eagle Flight 4184, officially operating as Simmons Airlines Flight 4184, was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Chicago, Illinois, United States. On October 31, 1994, the ATR 72 performing this route flew into severe icing conditions, lost control and crashed into a field. All 68 people aboard were killed in the high-speed impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 383 (1965)</span> 1965 aviation accident in the United States

American Airlines Flight 383 was a nonstop flight from New York City to Cincinnati on November 8, 1965. The aircraft was a Boeing 727, with 57 passengers, and 5 crew on board. The aircraft crashed on final approach to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport located in Hebron, Kentucky, United States. Only three passengers and one flight attendant survived the crash.

Aircraft upset is an unacceptable condition, in aircraft operations, in which the aircraft flight attitude or airspeed is outside the normally intended limits. This may result in the loss of control (LOC) of the aircraft, and sometimes the total loss of the aircraft itself. Loss of control may be due to excessive altitude for the airplane's weight, turbulent weather, pilot disorientation, or a system failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TWA Flight 159</span> 1967 aviation accident

Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 159 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Los Angeles, California, with a stopover in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Kentucky, that crashed after an aborted takeoff from Cincinnati on November 6, 1967. The Boeing 707 attempted to abort takeoff when the copilot became concerned that the aircraft had collided with a disabled DC-9 on the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, struck an embankment and caught fire. One passenger died as a result of the accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907</span> 2006 mid-air plane collision in Brazil

On 29 September 2006, Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907, a Boeing 737-800 on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Manaus, Brazil, to Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, collided mid-air with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet flying on an opposite heading over the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. The winglet of the Legacy sliced off about half of the 737's left wing, causing the 737 to break up and crash into an area of dense jungle, killing all 154 passengers and crew. Despite sustaining serious damage to its left wing and tail, the Legacy landed with its seven occupants uninjured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 South Dakota Learjet crash</span> Fatal plane crash caused by hypoxia

On October 25, 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 business jet was scheduled to fly from Orlando, Florida, United States to Dallas, Texas, United States. Early in the flight, the aircraft, which was climbing to its assigned altitude on autopilot, lost cabin pressure, and all six on board were incapacitated by hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the brain and body. The aircraft continued climbing past its assigned altitude, then failed to make the westward turn toward Dallas over North Florida and continued on its northwestern course, flying over the southern and midwestern United States for almost four hours and 1,500 miles (2,400 km). The plane ran out of fuel over South Dakota and crashed into a field near Aberdeen after an uncontrolled descent, killing all six on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Air Flight 1851</span> 1989 plane crash on Pico Alto, the Azores

On 8 February 1989, Independent Air Flight 1851, a Boeing 707 on an American charter flight from Bergamo, Italy, to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, struck Pico Alto while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores for a scheduled stopover. The aircraft was destroyed, with the loss of all 144 people on board, resulting in the deadliest plane crash in Portugal's history. All of the passengers on board were Italian and all of the crew were Americans. The crash is also known as "The disaster of the Azores".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Airlines Flight 1866</span> 1971 fatal jet airliner crash

Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight operated by Alaska Airlines from Anchorage, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington, with several intermediate stops in southeast Alaska. The aircraft was a Boeing 727-100 with U.S. registry N2969G manufactured in 1966. On September 4, 1971, the aircraft operating the flight crashed into a mountain in Haines Borough, about 18 miles west of Juneau, Alaska, while on approach for landing. All 111 people aboard were killed. The subsequent investigation found that erroneous navigation readouts led the crew to descend prematurely. No definitive cause for the misleading data was found. It was the first fatal jet aircraft crash involving Alaska Airlines, and remained the deadliest single-aircraft accident in United States history until June 24, 1975, when Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 crashed. It is still, however, the worst air disaster in Alaska state history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231</span> 1974 aviation accident

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231 was the fatal crash of a Boeing 727 in the eastern United States on December 1, 1974 in Harriman State Park near Stony Point, New York, just north of the New York City area. The Northwest Airlines 727 had been chartered to pick up the Baltimore Colts professional football team in Buffalo in western New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing 720</span> 1959 airliner series by Boeing

The Boeing 720 is an American narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Announced in July 1957 as a 707 derivative for shorter flights from shorter runways, the 720 first flew on November 23, 1959. Its type certificate was issued on June 30, 1960, and it entered service with United Airlines on July 5, 1960. A total of 154 Boeing 720s and 720Bs were built until 1967. As a derivative, the 720 had low development costs, allowing profitability despite few sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 9570</span> 1972 aviation accident

On May 30, 1972, Delta Air Lines Flight 9570 crashed while attempting to land at the Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW) in Fort Worth, Texas during a training flight. All four occupants aboard the training flight were killed. The crash was determined to be caused by the aircraft flying through wake turbulence, and led to sweeping changes in procedures for maintaining minimum safe distance behind aircraft that generate substantial wake turbulence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527</span> 1979 aviation accident

Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527 was a Lufthansa Cargo flight scheduled to fly from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Dakar, the capital of Senegal. On 26 July 1979, shortly after take-off in Rio, the Boeing 707 flew into a slope and crashed. All 3 crew members, consisting of the captain, the first officer and a flight engineer died; there were no survivors. The principal cause of the crash was the failure of air traffic controllers to pay the necessary attention to each aircraft and ensure the necessary attention to rising terrain.

References

  1. "Northwest jet crashes in swamp; 43 aboard". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. February 13, 1963. p. 1.
  2. "Debris points to blast in 43-death jet crash". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. February 13, 1963. p. A1.
  3. "Air crash investigated". Eugene Register-Guard. AP, UPI reports. February 13, 1963. p. 1A.
  4. "Violent air viewed as main cause of jet crash". Spokesman-Review. CTPS. February 15, 1963. p. 13.
  5. "Search teams seek airliner". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. February 12, 1963. p. 1A.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "N724.pdf - Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives" (PDF). www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 24 March 2022. - Version at the National Transportation Library.
  7. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Accident Report Archived May 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: May 28, 2015
  8. Pollock, Steve (2014). Deadly Turbulence. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 23. ISBN   978-0-7864-7433-2.
  9. "Northwest Orient Flight 705 - FAA Lessons Learned - Federal Aviation Administration". lessonslearned.faa.gov. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  10. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 720-051B N724US Everglades, FL". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  11. Job, MacArthur (1996). Air Disaster: Volume 2. Aerospace Publications. ISBN   1-875671-19-6.