ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-880-22-1 N821TW Covington-Greater Cincinnati Airport, KY (CVG)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 20 November 1967
Time:20:57
Type:Silhouette image of generic cv88 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Convair CV-880-22-1
Operator:Trans World Airlines - TWA
Registration: N821TW
MSN: 22-00-27
First flight: 1960
Total airframe hrs:18850
Engines: 4 General Electric CJ805-3A
Crew:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Passengers:Fatalities: 65 / Occupants: 75
Total:Fatalities: 70 / Occupants: 82
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:2 km (1.3 mls) N of Covington-Greater Cincinnati Airport, KY (CVG) (   United States of America)
Crash site elevation: 267 m (876 feet) amsl
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America
Destination airport:Covington-Greater Cincinnati Airport, KY (CVG/KCVG), United States of America
Flightnumber:TW128
Narrative:
TWA Flight 128 departed Los Angeles, California, at 17:37 hours for a flight to Greater Cincinnati Airport, Kentucky, USA.
The crew reported over the Outer Marker at 20:56 and were cleared to land, straight in, on runway 18. The aircraft contacted trees at a point 9357 feet from the approach end of the runway, 429 feet right of the extended centerline at an elevation of 875 feet msl. The aircraft skidded and disintegrated, ending up 6878 feet short of the runway.
The visibility was 1,5 miles in light snow. The ILS glide slope, runway approach lights and Middle Marker weren't operational due to runway construction work.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An attempt by the crew to conduct night, visual, no-glide-slope approach during deteriorating weather conditions without adequate altimeter cross-reference. The approach was conducted using visual reference to partially lighted irregular terrain which may have been conducive to producing an illusionary sense of adequate terrain clearance."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 9 months
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-69-05
Download report: Final report

Classification:
ILS inoperative

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest Circular 107-AN/81 (255-273)


Follow-up / safety actions
This accident highlighted the need for action to combat approach-and-landing accidents. The NTSB recommended operational improvements, research in altimetry and in the development of approach and landing aids.

Photos

photo of Convair-CV-880-22-1-N821TW
Descent profile
photo of Convair-CV-880-22-1-N821TW
accident date: 20-11-1967
type: Convair CV-880-22-1
registration: N821TW
 

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 Los Angeles International Airport, CA to Covington-Greater Cincinnati Airport, KY as the crow flies is 3031 km (1895 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.

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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Convair CV-880

  • 65 built
  • 6th loss
  • 4th fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 2nd worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 United States of America
  • 12th worst accident (at the time)
  • 39th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

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