ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N8948E Pensacola Regional Airport, FL (PNS)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 27 December 1987
Time:23:39
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC93 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
Operator:Eastern Air Lines
Registration: N8948E
MSN: 47184/274
First flight: 1968
Total airframe hrs:55645
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 103
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 107
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Pensacola Regional Airport, FL (PNS) (   United States of America)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL), United States of America
Destination airport:Pensacola Regional Airport, FL (PNS/KPNS), United States of America
Flightnumber:EA573
Narrative:
As Flight EA573 approached Pensacola, the crew were told to expect a runway 16 ILS approach. At 23:30 the controller advised that the glide slope monitor in the tower had just gone into alarm (unreliable indications), and repeated this message several times during the approach. At 2000 feet from the runway (at 400 feet agl) the first officer told the captain he was high on the glide slope. The captain then reduced power and pushed the nose over. The captain started the flare, but the nosegear touched the runway before reaching a level attitude. The DC-9 bounced back into the air and touched down hard again. This caused the cabin to break open just aft of the wings (between Stations 813 and 756), causing the aircraft to stop with the tail resting on the runway.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's failure to maintain a proper descent rate on final approach or to execute a missed approach, which caused the airplane to contact the runway with a sink rate exceeding the airplane's design limitations. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure of the captain and first officer to make required altitude callouts and to properly monitor the flight instruments during the approach."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-89-02-SUM
Download report: Final report

Sources:
» Aviation Week & Space Technology 4.1.88(68/69)
» NTSB/AAR-89/02/SUM


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 2 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of DC-9-31-N8948E
accident date: 27-12-1987
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
registration: N8948E
photo of DC-9-31-N8948E
accident date: 27-12-1987
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
registration: N8948E
photo of DC-9-31-N8948E
accident date: 27-12-1987
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
registration: N8948E
 

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-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA to Pensacola Regional Airport, FL as the crow flies is 435 km (272 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
  • 39th loss
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