USAir Flight 499

USAir Flight 499

Wreckage of the aircraft after overrunning the runway
Accident
Date	February 21, 1986 (1986-02-21)
Summary	Runway excursion due to pilot error and weather conditions
Site	Erie International Airport, Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania, United States 42°4′59″N80°10′55″W / 42.08306°N 80.18194°W / 42.08306; -80.18194
Aircraft
N961VJ, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 1976 with the Allegheny Airlines livery
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
Operator	USAir
IATA flight No.	AL499
ICAO flight No.	USA499
Call sign	US AIR 499
Registration	N961VJ
Flight origin	Toronto-Pearson International Airport, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Stopover	Erie International Airport, Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania, United States
Destination	Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupants	23
Passengers	18
Crew	5
Fatalities	0
Injuries	1
Survivors	23

On February 21, 1986, USAir Flight 499, a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, overran the runway and crashed at Erie International Airport. One passenger suffered minor injuries, while the other 17 passengers and 5 crew were uninjured. The aircraft was badly damaged and was written off. ^{[1] [2]}

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a 16-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, registered as N961VJ with serial number 47506. It was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in 1970 and had logged 42,104 airframe hours. It was also powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Crew

• The captain of the flight was 37-year-old Robert L. Farris Jr. ^{[5] : 3  [6]} He was employed by USAir in January 1979, and had a total of 8,900 flight hours, and had 5,900 hours on board the DC-9. ^{[2] : 40}

• The first officer was employed by USAir in September 1982 and had 2,420 of his 4,880 flight hours on the DC-9. ^{[2] : 40}

Accident

The aircraft had started at Toronto-Pearson International Airport with a planned stopover at Erie International Airport. It would then continue to Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. ^[7] Due to not good visibility on runway 6, the pilots choose to land at runway 24 because it had better visibility. The aircraft touched down at Erie International Airport at 08:58:30 EST (13:58:30 UTC). The aircraft landed late on runway 24 at high speed and the aircraft couldn't stop. During the landing sequence, the pilots activated reverse thrust and manually deployed the spoilers. The aircraft was drifting slowly to the left side of the runway as the end of the runway approached. When the aircraft overran the runway, it was going 44 knots. The aircraft then hit a runway light, crashed through an airport fence and came to a stop in the middle of a road in the snow. ^{[2] : 40  [8]}

The impact opened the door of the cockpit as the aircraft came to a stop. The flight attendants were directed by the captain to evacuate the aircraft. All 23 occupants were evacuated from the forward emergency slide chute. One female passenger got a minor injury when they bumped their head while evacuating. She would later be taken to a local hospital. The aircraft was written off due to being damaged beyond repair. ^{[2] : 40  [7] [8] [9]}

Investigation

The investigation was conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). They attributed the accident to improper decision-making by the pilots, exceeding aircraft airspeed, not attaining the proper touchdown of the aircraft, and failing to perform a go-around. The challenging weather conditions were also a factor in the accident. There was snow, a tailwind, and fog. Snow had covered the airport facilities and the runway. ^{[1] [8]}

Aftermath

After the accident, the passengers were sent on another aircraft to Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. ^[9] USAir and Republic Airlines services were interrupted by this accident when airport officials close the main runway at Erie International Airport. ^[7]

The license of Captain Farris was revoked after the accident by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the FAA, it was because he had acted in "a reckless manner" by landing on a runway that had a tailwind and was slippery. ^[6]

See also

• Korean Air Flight 631
• Air India Express Flight 812
• Air India Express Flight 1344
• East Coast Jets Flight 81

References

1. "Crash of Douglas DC-9-31 in Erie | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
2. National Transportation Safety Board. "AAR87-02S.pdf" (PDF). AAR87-02S.pdf. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
3. "Accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N961VJ, Friday 21 February 1986". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
4. "N961VJ Aircraft Inquiry". registery.faa.gov. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
5. "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board.
6. "The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 18". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 6, 1986.
7. "The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 12". Newspaper.com. The Times-Tribune. February 21, 1986.
8. "FAA Daily Broadcast - February 21, 2023". MyFAA. Federal Aviation Administration. February 21, 2023.
9. "A USAir DC-9 with 18 passengers and five crew..." UPI. February 21, 1986.