Piedmont Airlines Flight 22

Last updated

Piedmont Airlines Flight 22
Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 crash site.jpg
The crash site of Piedmont Airlines Flight 22
Accident
DateJuly 19, 1967 (1967-07-19)
Summary Mid-air collision [1]
Site Hendersonville, North Carolina
Total fatalities82
Total survivors0
First aircraft
N68650 (PIEDMONT AIRLINES) 727-22 Ed Coates collection (cropped).jpg
N68650, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 1966
Type Boeing 727-22
NameManhattan Pacemaker
Operator Piedmont Airlines
ICAO flight No.PAI22
Call signPIEDMONT 22
Registration N68650
Flight origin Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville, North Carolina
Destination Roanoke Regional Airport
Roanoke, Virginia
Occupants79
Passengers74
Crew5
Fatalities79
Survivors0
Second aircraft
Cessna310R (4722764016).jpg
A Cessna 310 similar to the accident aircraft
Type Cessna 310
Operator Lanseair Inc.
Call sign21 SIERRA
RegistrationN3121S
Occupants3
Passengers2
Crew1
Fatalities3
Survivors0

Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 was a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727-22 that collided with a twin-engine Cessna 310 on July 19, 1967, over Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States. [2] Both aircraft were destroyed and all passengers and crew were killed, [2] including John T. McNaughton, an advisor to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The aircraft were both operating under instrument flight rules and were in radio contact with the Asheville control tower, though on different frequencies. The accident investigation was the first of a major scale conducted by the newly created National Transportation Safety Board. A review of the investigation conducted 39 years after the crash upheld the original findings that had placed primary responsibility on the Cessna pilot. [2]

Contents

Flight and crash

Piedmont Flight 22 took off from Asheville Regional Airport's Runway 16 at 11:58 a.m. for a 35-minute IFR flight to Roanoke, Virginia under the command of captain Raymond F. Schulte (49), first officer Thomas C. Conrad (30), and flight engineer Lawrence C. Wilson (37). While the Boeing 727 was still on its takeoff roll, John D. Addison (48), the pilot of the Cessna 310 N3121S, reported: "Two one Sierra just passed over the VOR, we're headed for the ... for .. ah .. Asheville now." The approach controller then cleared the Cessna to descend and maintain 6,000 feet (1,800 m). At 11:59:44, the controller cleared Flight 22 to "... climb unrestricted to the VOR, report passing the VOR" and then cleared the Cessna for an approach to Runway 16. At 12:01, the 727 was still climbing when it collided with the Cessna just aft of the 727's cockpit at an altitude of 6,132 feet (1,869 m), causing its disintegration. [2] Many witnesses reported that the sound of the collision resembled that of a jet breaking the sound barrier. [3] The 727 rolled onto its back and crashed vertically into an area known as Camp Pinewood, exploding on impact. [3]

Original investigation

The accident became the first involving a major airline to be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), newly formed to replace the Civil Aeronautics Board. The NTSB's report placed the primary responsibility for the accident on the Cessna pilot, while citing air traffic control procedures as a contributing factor, and recommended a review of minimum pilot skill levels required for IFR flight. [2]

Controversy and new investigation

In 2006, 39 years after the accident, the NTSB reopened the investigation to review possible irregularities identified by Paul Houle, a former military traffic-accident investigator and historian who spent several years studying the accident. Houle alleged the following problems with the NTSB's original investigation:

Houle also mentioned that at the time, the newly formed NTSB was not fully independent of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as both reported to the Department of Transportation. Houle claimed that these conflicts of interest led the NTSB to avoid citing either Piedmont or FAA controllers as the primary causes of the accident.

In February 2007, the NTSB reported that it had upheld its original findings, reconfirming the probable cause that it had assessed in 1968. In a letter to Houle, NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker wrote that the board had voted 3–1 that Houle's arguments were unsubstantiated.

Notable passenger

John T. McNaughton, a passenger on Flight 22 who was killed along with his wife and son, had just resigned as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and had been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the next Secretary of the Navy. He was Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's closest advisor. [4]

Dramatization

It is featured in season 1, episode 5, of the TV show Why Planes Crash , in an episode called "Collision Course".

Similar incidents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182</span> 1978 mid-air collision over San Diego

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) from Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego. On September 25, 1978, the Boeing 727-214 serving the flight, registration N533PS, collided with a private Cessna 172 light aircraft, registration N7711G, over San Diego, California. It was Pacific Southwest Airlines' first fatal accident, and it remains the deadliest air disaster in California history. At the time, it was the deadliest air crash in American history, and remained so until American Airlines Flight 191 in May 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 1141</span> 1988 aviation accident at DFW airport

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah. On August 31, 1988, the flight, using a Boeing 727-200 series aircraft, crashed during takeoff, resulting in 14 deaths and 76 injuries of the 108 on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 965</span> 1995 passenger plane crash in Colombia

American Airlines Flight 965 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia. On December 20, 1995, the Boeing 757-200 flying this route crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, around 9:40 pm killing 151 of the 155 passengers and all eight crew members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeroméxico Flight 498</span> 1986 mid-air aircraft collision and crash in Cerritos, California, US

Aeroméxico Flight 498 was a scheduled commercial flight from Mexico City, Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, United States, with several intermediate stops. On Sunday, August 31, 1986, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the flight was clipped in the tail section by N4891F, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee owned by the Kramer family, and crashed into the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos, killing all 64 on the DC-9, all three on the Piper and an additional 15 people on the ground. Eight on the ground also sustained minor injuries. Blame was assessed equally on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the pilot of the Cherokee. No fault was found with the DC-9 or the actions of its crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles runway disaster</span> 1991 runway collision between two airplanes

On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, as Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Air Lines Flight 66</span> 1975 aviation accident

Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 was a regularly scheduled flight from New Orleans to New York City that crashed on June 24, 1975 while on approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing 113 of the 124 people on board. The crash was determined to be caused by wind shear caused by a microburst, but the failure of the airport and the flight crew to recognize the severe weather hazard was also a contributing factor.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piedmont Airlines (1948–1989)</span> Major airline of the United States (1948—1989)

Piedmont Airlines was a United States airline from 1948 to 1989, when it was acquired by and merged into USAir. Its headquarters were at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building that is now part of Wake Forest University.

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

Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Manaus, Brazil, to Brasília and Rio de Janeiro. On 29 September 2006, the Boeing 737-800 operating the flight collided with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet over the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. The winglet-equipped wingtip of the Legacy sliced off about half of the 737's left wing, causing the 737 to break up in midair 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">Southwest Airlines Flight 1455</span> Airliner accident in California

Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 was a scheduled passenger flight from McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, Burbank, California, that overran the runway during landing on March 5, 2000. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-3T5, registration N668SW, came to rest on a city street adjacent to a gas station. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the incident was due to the pilots attempting to land with excessive speed. They also found that the air traffic controller placed them in a position from which their only option was a go around. Two of the passengers were seriously injured, and there were many minor injuries. As a result of the incident, the airport installed an Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS) at the east end of the incident runway. The aircraft was written off, making the incident the 10th hull loss of a Boeing 737-300. This was the first major accident in the airline's 29-year history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runway incursion</span> Aviation incident involving the improper presence of an entity on a runway

A runway incursion is an aviation incident involving improper positioning of vehicles or people on any airport runway or its protected area. When an incursion involves an active runway being used by arriving or departing aircraft, the potential for a collision hazard or Instrument Landing System (ILS) interference can exist. At present, various runway safety technologies and processes are commonly employed to reduce the risk and potential consequences of such an event.

<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">TWA Flight 427</span> 1994 runway collision in Missouri, United States

TWA Flight 427 was a regularly scheduled TWA passenger flight departing St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) in Bridgeton, Missouri on November 22, 1994, operated using a McDonnell Douglas MD-82. On the takeoff roll it struck a Cessna 441 Conquest II, killing both of its occupants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision</span> Collision of two Northwest Airlines jetliners at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

The 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision involved the collision of two Northwest Airlines jetliners at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on December 3, 1990. Flight 1482, a scheduled Douglas DC-9-14 operating from Detroit to Pittsburgh International Airport, taxied by mistake onto an active runway in dense fog and was hit by a departing Boeing 727 operating as Flight 299 to Memphis International Airport. One member of the crew and seven passengers of the DC-9 were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAir Flight 427</span> Aviation accident in 1994

USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, with a stopover at Pittsburgh International Airport. On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania while approaching Runway 28R at Pittsburgh, which was USAir's largest hub at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254</span> 1990 mid-air collision

On April 9, 1990, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254, a scheduled passenger flight from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Gadsden, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, was involved in a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172 over Gadsden. The collision resulted in the death of the pilot and passenger of the Cessna 172.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AVAir Flight 3378</span> 1988 aviation accident

AVAir Flight 3378, was a scheduled flight under the American Eagle branding from Raleigh–Durham International Airport to Richmond International Airport which crashed after takeoff from Raleigh-Durham International Airport late on the night of February 19, 1988. All 12 people on board were killed in the accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozark Air Lines Flight 965</span> 1968 mid-air collision in St. Louis, Missouri

Ozark Air Lines Flight 965 was a scheduled commercial flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri, with a scheduled intermediate stopover at Greater Peoria Regional Airport in Peoria, Illinois. On March 27, 1968, the Douglas DC-9-15 jetliner operating the flight, carrying 44 passengers and five crew, collided in mid-air with a single-engined Cessna 150F while both aircraft were on approach to the same runway at Lambert Field. The DC-9 landed safely with no injuries to any of its 49 occupants, while both pilots in the two-person Cessna died in the collision and subsequent ground impact.

References

  1. Aircraft Accident Report (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. September 5, 1968. AAR-68-AJ.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-22 N68650 Hendersonville, NC". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Parrott, Scott. "Flight 22 - Views from Hendersonville". Times-News . Hendersonville, North Carolina. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  4. Lacey, Derek (July 19, 2018). "51 years later: A look back at the Flight 22 disaster over Hendersonville". Times-News. Retrieved July 21, 2021.

35°20′14″N82°26′16″W / 35.33722°N 82.43778°W / 35.33722; -82.43778