ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 N3323L Chattanooga Municipal Airport, TN (CHA)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 27 November 1973
Time:18:51
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC93 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator:Delta Air Lines
Registration: N3323L
MSN: 47032/204
First flight: 1967
Total airframe hrs:18233
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7A
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 74
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 79
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Chattanooga Municipal Airport, TN (CHA) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Atlanta Municipal Airport, GA (ATL/KATL), United States of America
Destination airport:Chattanooga Municipal Airport, TN (CHA/KCHA), United States of America
Flightnumber:DL516
Narrative:
The DC-9 struck approach lights 1600 feet short of the runway while on an ILS approach to runway 20. The aircraft continued, struck dyke 785 feet short of the threshold and skidded for another 1200 feet before coming to rest 250 feet left of the runway centerline.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot did not recognize the need to correct an excessive rate of descent after the aircraft had passed decision height. This occurred despite two verbal reports of increasing sink rate by the first officer. The captain disregarded the reports by the first officer, possibly because of the influence of a visual illusion caused by the refraction of light through the heavy rain on the windshield. The excessive rate of descent was initiated by a wind shear condition which extended in the lower levels of the approach path and a glide slope that tended toward the lower signal limit."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 years
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-74-13
Download report: Final report

Sources:
» NTSB-AAR-74-13


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 1 Safety Recommendation

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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Atlanta Municipal Airport, GA to Chattanooga Municipal Airport, TN as the crow flies is 170 km (106 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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DC-9-30

  • 662 built
  • 15th loss
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