Aircraft Accident Report, World Airways, Inc., DC-8-63F, N802WA
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File No. 1-0018 AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT WORLD AIRWAYS, INC. OC-8-63F, N802WA KING COVE, ALASKA SEPTEMBER 8, 1973 Adopted: May 8, 1974 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Washington, D.C. 20591 Report Number: NTSB-AAR-74-6 TECHNICAL REPORT STANDARD TITLE PAGE . Report No. 2.Government Accession No. 3.Recipientls Catalog No. NTSB-AAR-74-6 I. Titie and Subtitle Aircraft Accident Report- 5.Report Date World Airways, Inc., DC-8-63F, N802WA May 8, 1974 King Cove, Alaska, September 8, 1973 6.Performing Organization Code '. Author(s) 8.Performing Organization Report No. i SY I. Performing Organization Name and Address i0.Work Unit No. 1. In 1281 1.1 Hi National Transportation Safety Board 11 .Contract or Grant No. 1.2 In Bureau of Aviation Safety 1.3 Da Washington, D. C. 20591 13.Type of Report and 1.4 Ot Period Covered 1.5 CI 2.Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Aircraft Accident Reoort 1.6 Ai September 8, 1973 1.7 MC NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 1.8 A! CI Washington, D. C. 20591 14.Sponsoring Agency Code 1.9 1.10 AI 1.11 F' 15.Suppiementary Notes ,.1.12 A: 1.13 M This report contains Safety Recornendation A-74-53. 1.14 F 1.15 S 16.Abstract 1.16 T 1.17 0 8, About 0542 Alaska daylight time on September 1973, World Airways, Inc., 2. A Flight 802, a DC-8-63F, crashed into Mt. Dutton, near King Cove, Alaska. The six A occupants--three crewmembers and three nonrevenue company employees--were killed. 2.1 The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire. 2.2 C Flight 802 was a Military Airlift Comnand contract cargo flight from Travis AFB,, I California, to Clark AFB, Philippine Republic, with intermediate stops at Cold Bay, 3. I Alaska, and Yokota AFB, Japan. It was cleared for an approach 125 miles east of 1 the Cold Bay Airport. The flight reported that it was leaving 31,000 feet: this 1 was Flight 802's last recorded transmission. The aircraft crashed at the 3,500-foot level of Mt. Dutton, approximately 15.5 miles east of the airport. ~ The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the captain's deviation from approved instrument approach proce- ~ dures. As a result of the deviation, the flight descended into an area of unrelia- ~ ble navigation signals and obstructing terrain. 17.Key Words i8.Distribution Statement i Aircraft accident, non-precision approach, back course This report is available to i approach, non-compliance with approved instrument the'public through the l approach prooedures, minimum sector altitudes, National Technical Informa- operation in area of signal unreliability. tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151 i9.Security Classification 20.Security Classification 21.No. of Pages 22.Price ~ (of this report) (of this page) 30 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED WSB Fom 1765.2 (11/70) ii .PP 40 . on TABLE OF CONTENTS . on . Synopsis ..................... 1 1 . Investigation ................... 1 . 1.1 History of the Flight ............... 1 1.2 Injuries to Persons ................ 3 . 1.3 Damage to Aircraft ................ 3 1.4 Other Damage ................... 4 1.5 Crew Information ................. 4 1.6 Aircraft Information ............... 4 1.7 Meteorological Information ............ 4 1.8 Aids to Navigation ................ 5 LF 1.9 Conrmunications .................. 6 1.10 Aerodrome and Ground Facilities .......... 6 . 1.11 Flight Recorders ................. 6 .a. 12 Aircraft Wreckage ................. 6 1.13 Medical and Pathologjcal Examination ....... 8 1.14 Fire ........................ 8 . 1.15 Survival Aspects ................. 8 1.16 Test and Research ................. 8 * 1.17 Other Information ................. 8 2 . Analysis and Conclusions ............. 8 2.1 Analysis ..................... 8 2.2 Conclusions .................... 11 (a) Findings ................... 11 FB @) Probable Cause ................ 11 Y, 3 . Recomendations .................. 12 Appendices Appendix A Invastigation and Hearing .... 13 Appendix B Crew Information ......... 14 Appendix C Aircraft Information ....... 15 Appendix D Flight Track ........... 17 Appendix E Transcript of Cockpit Voice 1- Recording ........... 19 Appendix F Approach Plate for Cold Bay Airport ............ 26 . Appendix ( Reconmendation .......... 27 0 . 1 iii I File No. 1-0018 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D. C. 20591 AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT Adopted: May 8, 1974 WORLD AIRWAYS, INC. DC-8-63F, N802WA KING COVE, ALASKA SEPTEMBER 8, 1973 SYNOPSIS About 0542 Alaska daylight time on September 8, 1973, World Airways, Inc., Flight 802, a DC-8-63F, (N802WA), crashed into Mt. Dutton, near King Cove, Alaska. The six occupants--three crewmembers and three non- revenue company employees-were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire. Flight 802 was a Military Airlift Comnd contract cargo flight from Travis AFB, California, to Clark AFB, Philippine Republic, with inter- mediate stops at Cold Bay, Alaska, and Yokota AFB, Japan. It was cleared for approach 125 miles east of the Cold Bay Airport. -The'last recorded transmission from the flight to the Cold Bay flight service station was that it was leaving 31,000 feet. The aircraft crashed at the 3,500-foot level of Mt. Dutton, about 15.5 miles east of the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the captain's deviation from approved instrument approach procedures. As a result of the deviation, the flight descended into an area of unreliable navigation signals and obstructing terrain. As a result of this accident, the Safety Board has made recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration. 1, INVESTIGATION 1.1 History of the Flight World Airways, Inc., Flight 802, a DC-8-63F, (N802WA) was a Military Airlift Command contract cargo flight from Travis AirForceBase (AFB), California, to Clark AFB, Philippine Republic, with intermediate stops at Cold Bay, Alaska, and Yokota AFB, Japan. .The crew reported to the World Airways dispatch office at Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California, at 2200 I-/. From there, they went by car to Travis AFB where they were briefed by U. S. Air Force weather personnel. The crew filed the following instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan: -1/ All times listed are Alaska daylight time, based on the 24-hour clock. -2- "william 1 Standard Instrument Department (SID), direct Ukiah, At 05: California, control 1486 to gateway Redwood, direct 43'N-130%, VORTAC ?/ 48°N-130%, direct 53'N-150%, direct 55'N-160%, direct Cold officer , '1 Bay, at flight level (FL) 310, true airspeed 480 knots, and In respons estimated time en route 4 hours 38 minutes." said, "I g first offi The proposed alternate airport, Anchorage, was later changed to King turn, the Salmon, Alaska. The flight was cleared as filed, except for achangeinSID. next minut impossible Flight 802 departed Travis AFB at 0111 and proceeded to the vicinity for a circ of its last en route fix, 55' N, 160' W, without incident. At that fix, proach he the crew was unable to contact the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control rain they Center (ARTCC) and finally gave their position report to the Cold Bay At 0539, j Flight Service Station (FSS) at 0525. The distance from Cold Bay was little hi$ reported to be 125 distance measuring equipment @ME) miles, with an forty DME: estimated time of arrival of 0542. The Cold Bay FSS advised that the' weather was ". measured ceiling five hundred overcast, visibility At 01 seven, with some very light drizzle . winds are threezero zero degrees no reason at two four with peak gusts at three one . the ceilings are ragged 4,000 fee! and it's been holding pretty much that way all evening . .I, first off: changed t' At 0527 Flight 802 was cleared for an approach to the Cold Bay Air- seconds. port. Both transmissions were acknowledged. At 0529, the flight re- heading w ported it was leaving 31,000 feet (FL 310). This was the last recorded transmission from Flight 802. According to flight data recorder (FDR) Af te information, the flight descended continuously and leveled off at 3,500 radio alt feet 21. (See Appendix D.) "Twenty m One forty Although Flight 802 was not cleared for a specific approach to Cold hey John, Bay, the only approved approach procedure, in view of the weather and creased, operating limitations, was to use the localizer back course DME approach Six secor to runway 32. Two transitions are published for this approach: (1) Pro- feet, on ceed outbound on the localizer back course at 7,000 feet to the 19.5-mile DME fix, descend in a procedure turn to 3,500 feet on the west side of the 1.2 localizer, and return to the 19.5-mile DME fix. (2) Intercept the 40- x mile DME fix on the back course of the localizer and descend to 3,500 feet inbound on the localizer before the aircraft reaches the 19.5-mile DME fix. (See Appendix F.) FJ Nl According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, a few NI minutes after the flight started to descend and during a discussion about the anticipated wind and approach speed, the captain said, "thirty- 1.3 five hundred feet m.s.1.". (See Appendix E.) The crew subsequently com- x pleted the in-range checklist, discussed the minimum descent altitude The (MA), and began tuning the navigation receivers. There was no mention i of the specific instrument approach intended. I -3; COl -21 All altitudes and elevations are mean sea level. f re -3- At 0536, when the flight was about 35 nmi east of the Cold Bay VORTAC 3/ and near the 3,500-foot level, the captain asked the first officer, 'Where's your DME?" The first officer replied, "Not Good.'' In response to the captain's remark, "No DME, huh?" the first officer said, "I got thirty seven, we were forty out the last I saw." When the first officer asked the captain whether he was going to make a procedure turn, the captain replied, "No I .