Accident Report
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TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BQARD AIRCRAFT' ACCIDENT REPORT PAN AMERJCBH WORLD AIRWAYS, INC., CLlPPER 759, BOEING 727-235, M737, NEW ORLEAN§ ~~E~A~IONA~AERWRT KENNER, LOUlSiANA JULY 9,1982 NTSB/AAR-83/02 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT American World Airwe!%, Clipper 759, N4737, 'koeing 727- MWCh 21, 1983 235, New Orleans Intermtima1. .~~ ~...Airmrt. .. ., ..Kenner. ~.... .. 6.Performing Organization Louisiam, July 9. 1982 I Code 7. Authorjs) B.PcrForming Organization Report No. 3. Performing Organization Name and Address 10.Uork Unit No. I 3581C National Trwsportation Safety Board Il.tontract or Grant No. Bureau of Accident Investigstion 1 Wshington, D.C. 20594 13.Type cf Report and I Period Covered -. 12.5ponsoring Agency Name and Address Aircraft Accident Report July 9,1982 NAT!ONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOAXJ Uashington, D. C. ?0594 I 4.Sponsor i;.g Agency Code --. __-- 15.Supplcnrn:ary Norcs Abstract Cont'd The National Transportaxion Safety Board determines that the prohable cause of the accident was the airpiane's encounter during the liftoff and initial climb phase Of flight with a microburst-induced wind shear which imp& a downdraft ana a decreasing headwind, the effects of which the pilot would have had difficulty recognizing and reacting to in tine for the airplane's descent to be arrested before its impact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the limited capability 3f current ground based low level wind shear detection technology to provide definitive guidance for controllers and pilots for iise in avoiding low level wind shear encoucters ii CONTENTS SYNOPSS .......................... 1 1. FACTUAL INFORMATION ................... 2 1. 1 History of the Flight ..................... 2 1.2 Injuries to Persons ...................... 4 1.3 Damage to Airplane ...................... 4 1.4 Other Damage ........................ 4 1.5 Personnel Infmmation ..................... 4 1.6 Akraft Infwination ..................... 5 1.7 Meteorologic& Information ................... 6 Weather Radar 0hSerwtior.s ................. 8 Flightcrew Weather Okerwtions ............... 10 Wittesses' Weatkr Observations ............... 12 1.8 Aids to Navigation ...................... 13 1.9 Communications ....................... 13 i.13 Aei-odrome Information .................... 13 1.10.2 Low Level Wind Shear Alert ShTstem ............... 14 1-11 Fligbt Qecorders ....................... 18 3 I ..t2 Wreckage md Impact Information ................ 20 i.13 3lediC;si md Pat'mlogicd Informatien .............. 21 1.14 Fire ............................ 21 1-15 Sur%<vaiAspects ....................... 21 1.16 Tests a?c! Resee-ch ...................... 22 1.16.1 Heew Rain Effects on Airplane Perfor:::vnce ........... 22 1.16.2 Joint Airport Weather Study Project ............... 24 1.16.3 Wind Anal>& ........................ 27 i.16.4 Airplane Pe-formmce Analysis ................. 30 Ground Roll to Rotation ................... 32 Rotation. Lift Off .and C!irnb to 35 Feet AGL ......... 32 Thirty-Five Feet ACL to Initial Impact ............ 32 1.17 Other information ....................... 33 1.17.1 Air Traffic Control Procedures ................. 33 ATE Procedures ...................... 34 Dissemination of LLKSAS Information ............. 34 Convec:ive Weat>her Advisories ................ 39 :.17.2 Pan Ameriwn World A insays Performance Requirements and F1igt.t Operation Procedures .................... 39 Disptdi Yiwedures ..................... 40 Ta' ... iff ?mW&?es .................. 40 We&r;her Avoidaxe and Xind Shear information ......... 41 Airplene Keather Radar System P-ocedures .......... 42 1.17.3 Wind Shear Trllicing ...................... 43 FAA Advisory Ci-?uIrt- ................... 43 Training C~urses...................... 45 Simulator Training ..................... 46 1.1 7.4 Low Level WinG Shear Detecricn S\tstems-Air and Ground ..... 47 Ground Detection Systems .................. 47 Airborne Detectim Systems ................. 48 1.17.5 Humen Pe?formance Data ................... 51 ... i?? 2. ANALYSES .......................... 52 2.1 General ........................... 52 2.2 Meteorological Factors .......... .......... 53 2.2.1 Flight Folder ......................... 53 2.2.2 Weather Conditions at Airport ................. 53 Convective Weather Activity ....... .......... 53 Rainfall Rates ............. .......... 54 Wind Direction and Speed .................. 54 2.3 Airplane Aerodynamic Performance ............... 56 Effect of Heavy Rain on Airplane Airfoils . .......... 52 2.4 Operational Factors ............ .......... 63 Company Manuals ............ .......... 63 ATC Dissemination of Weather Information . .......... 63 Clipper 759’s Pieather Radar ....... .......... 66 Operational Decisions .......... .......... 67 2.5 Wind Shear Detection Systems ................. 69 3. CONCLUSIONS ........................ 70 3.2 Findings ........................... 70 3.2 Probable Cause ........................ 72 a . RECOMMENDATIONS ..................... 73 5. APPENDIXES ............ ........... 77 Appendix A-Investigation and Public He . .”g. ......... 77 Appendix B-Personnel Information .............. 78 Appendix C-Airplane Information ............... EO .A .A Vpendix D-Transcript of Cockpit Voice Recorder ....... El Appendix E-Jeppesen Runway Diagram Chart ......... 113 Appendix F-Readout of Flighh? Data Recorder ......... 115 ..... .... ." ...... ,: '.?".* ... ; '. '.? ' F . :.. ..... .i : .. ... NATIONAL TRANSPOIWA'ITON SAFETY BOARD ...... 1. ...c<.'4. x:.< .*..'.'.. WASEINGN)N, D-C- 20594 ....... ,;. e..- ...... ... ... .:..P ..?:;2 .. ........... _.,.x ....... -. .&.. c Ai€lC&lFTACCEXZNT BEsogT ................ .; ? .i- ..... .-. .. .... .....- ............ ,,~,..=. ..> .. ..:. ... :.... ......... Adopt& BY- 21,1983 :*; ..... .. ............. ........ .: . .....,:. y .. .. -;; 4: .... :e: ....... -. .:::y . - .-- ....... ... .: ...... .. ..... SYNOFSE .- - : ....i On July 9. 1982, Pan American World Xirwazs, Inc, Flight 759 (Clipper 1591, a .....; Boeing 727-235, was s regularly sebeduled passenger flight from sliami, Florid&, N4737, ~ to Lss Vegas, Nevada, with till en route stop at Kew Orleens; Louisiana. About Is07251 '.., central daylight time, Ciipper 759, with 7 crewmembers, 1 nonreveme passenger on the .. cockpit jumpeat. and 137 pasengers on W-d, been its t&eoff from runway 10 at the .. New OrIeans InternaConai Air-, Kemer. Louisiena. .. At tbe time of Flight 759's t&eo€f. there were showers over the east end of the airport and to the easi of the airport along the &@me's intended takeoff path. The. winds at the time were gust:. variable, end swirling. Clipper 759 lifted off the rmway, climbed to an altitude of between 95 feet to abut 150 feet ebove the ground, and then begtin to descend. The airplane struck a line of trees about 2,376 feet beyond the depclrture end of runwa>t 15 at an &titube of abut 50 feet above the ground. The airplane contimed on an eastward track for another 2.234 feet hitting trees and houses and then crashed in a residential area about 4.610 feet fmm the end of the runway. The U?LS &strop3 during the imprict, explasion, and subsequent ground fire. One hundred forty-five persws on board the airphne and 8 persons on #e gromd were killed in the crash. slx houses were destroyed; five houses were damaged substanti&y. .. The Kational Trrirtsyrtation Safety Board determines xhat the proixue cause of the acadent was the &plane% encounter during the liftoff and initial climb phrse of fiigt with a microburst-induced wind she&rwhich impcsed a downdraft and a decreasing headwind, the effect? of which ?he pilot would have had difficulty recognizing and reacting to in time for the airpiwe%descent to be rureszed before irs impact with tr- Contributing to the accident was ?he limited mpbility of current ground based low level wind shear detectim technology to provide definitive guidance for controllers and pilots for use in avoiding low level wind shear encounters. .. ..' "... 'j ..... .. .... .._1 ... .. .. :... .. .. -2- .. .. .......... ... ..... ...... 1, FAClWAL iNFORMATION .... .... .~ ....., ... !. ...... ... 1.1 €6sto!ryoftbe~t ............ ... ...-. ..... On July 9, 1982, Pan American World -Airways, Inc., Fligfit 759, a .'Boeing ' ' 127-235, N4737, was a. regularly scheduled passenger flight from Miami, Florida, to LES .. Vegcls, Nevada, with an en route stop at New Orleans, Louisiana. At 1558:48, central &ylight time, I/ Flight 759 (Clipper 759) taxied from its gate at tb New Orleaw Internatimtd Airport, Kenner, Louisiana, with 7 crewmembers3 . ' 1nonrevenue passenger on the cockpit jumpeat, and 137 passengers on boar+ Before . leaving the gate, the flightcrew had received Automatic Terminal inform&tion.Ser<ce . (ATIS) message Foxtrot (F) which read in part, ".. .time one eight five five ; Zulu, 2/ weather, two tholsand five hundred scattered, two five thousand thin broken, visibsty six mila in haze, temperature niner zero, wind two four zero at two, winds ire dm,altimeter thee zero zero one.. .." The company takeoff computation form completed by the flightcrew Cdntained the foEowing dats &timated takeoff grcss weight - 170,000 I@ takeoff flap setting-- Eo; center of gravity/stabilizer Dim setting - 21.3 percent mean aerodynamic chord (MAC); takeoff temperature - 33OC (91O F); wind - 320° at 3 knots; and altimeter setting-29.98 i&g. The target, engine pressure ratics (EPR) were 1-90on engines Nos. 1 end 3, end 1.92 on engine No. 2. Critical engine failure speed W! and rotation speed (Vr) were 138 knots indicated