ASN Aircraft accident Fairchild FH-227B N712U Charleston-Kanawha County Airport, WV (CRW)
ASN logo
 

Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 10 August 1968
Time:08:57
Type:Silhouette image of generic F27 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Fairchild FH-227B
Operator:Piedmont Airlines
Registration: N712U
MSN: 557
First flight: 1967
Total airframe hrs:2197
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce Dart 532-7
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 32 / Occupants: 34
Total:Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 37
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Charleston-Kanawha County Airport, WV (CRW) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, KY (CVG/KCVG), United States of America
Destination airport:Charleston-Kanawha County Airport, WV (CRW/KCRW), United States of America
Flightnumber: 230
Narrative:
Piedmont flight 230 was on an ILS localizer approach to Charleston-Kanawha County Airport (CRW) runway 23 when it struck trees 360 feet from the runway threshold. The aircraft continued and struck up sloping terrain (+30deg) 250 feet short in a 4-5deg nose down attitude, slightly left wing down. The Fairchild continued up the hill and on to the airport, coming to rest 6 feet beyond the threshold and 50 feet from the right edge of the runway.
A layer of dense fog (about 150 feet thick) was obscuring the threshold and about half of the approach lights. Visual conditions existed outside the fog area.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An unrecognized loss of altitude orientation during the final portion of an approach into shallow, dense fog. The disorientation was caused by a rapid reduction in the ground guidance segment available to the pilot at a point beyond which a go-around could not be successfully effected."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-69-06
Download report: Final report

Classification:


Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 107-AN/81 (p.283-302)


Follow-up / safety actions
Six safety recommendations were issued as a result of this accident. The recommendations a.o. focused on the dangers of shallow fog penetration.

Photos

photo of Fairchild-FH-227B-N712U
accident date: 10-08-1968
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: N712U
 

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 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, KY to Charleston-Kanawha County Airport, WV as the crow flies is 275 km (172 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.
languages: languages

Share

Fairchild FH-227

  • 78 built
  • The first loss
  • The first fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 5th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 United States of America
  • 58th worst accident (at the time)
  • 98th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org