Narrative:
Flight 227 took off from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) for a flight to San Francisco (SFO) via Cleveland (CLE), Chicago (MDW), Denver (DEN) and Salt Lake City (SLC). The aircraft took off from Denver at 16:54 and climbed to its assigned cruising altitude of FL310. At 17:38 flight 227 began its descent for Salt Lake City. The flight proceeded in accordance with radar vectors. After a radar handoff to Salt Lake City Approach Control new clearance altitudes were given. At 17:47 the approach controller advised, "United seventy twenty seven ... five miles south of Riverton Fan Marker coming on localizer course cleared for ILS runway three four left approach." The pilot replied "Okay we're slowed to two fifty (Knots) and we're at ten (10,000 feet) we have the runway in sight now, we'll cancel and standby with you for traffic." Control of the flight was transferred to the tower and at 17:49:40 landing clearance was issued.
The aircraft crossed the outer marker over 2,000 feet above the ILS glide slope. The rate of descent during the final approach exceeded 2,000 ft/min, approximately three times the United Air Lines recommended rate of descent for landing approaches. The first officer attempted to apply power but the captain stopped him. Power was then applied too late to arrest the rate of descent. The airplane touched down 335 feet short of the threshold of runway 34L. The right and left main landing gear began to separate and the airplane slid onto the runway. Severe upward and rearward impact forces from the right main Landing gear assembly produced a large impact hole and ruptured fuel lines and the no. 3 generator leads between fuselage station 1030 and 1130 on the right side. The fuel was ignited by sparks from the fuselage scraping on the runway and/or the severed generator leads.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the captain to take timely action to arrest an excessive descent rate during the landing approach."
Undershoot/overshoot
» ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 Volume III (109-122)
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
Seat map Boeing 727-22 N7030U
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Thursday 11 November 1965 |
| Time: | 17:52 |
| Type: |  Boeing 727-22 |
| Operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | N7030U |
| MSN: | 18322/130 |
| First flight: | 1965-02-25 (9 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1781 |
| Engines: | 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-1 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 85 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 91 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Salt Lake City International Airport, UT (SLC) ( United States of America)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 1288 m (4226 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), United States of America |
| Salt Lake City International Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | UA227 |
Flight 227 took off from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) for a flight to San Francisco (SFO) via Cleveland (CLE), Chicago (MDW), Denver (DEN) and Salt Lake City (SLC). The aircraft took off from Denver at 16:54 and climbed to its assigned cruising altitude of FL310. At 17:38 flight 227 began its descent for Salt Lake City. The flight proceeded in accordance with radar vectors. After a radar handoff to Salt Lake City Approach Control new clearance altitudes were given. At 17:47 the approach controller advised, "United seventy twenty seven ... five miles south of Riverton Fan Marker coming on localizer course cleared for ILS runway three four left approach." The pilot replied "Okay we're slowed to two fifty (Knots) and we're at ten (10,000 feet) we have the runway in sight now, we'll cancel and standby with you for traffic." Control of the flight was transferred to the tower and at 17:49:40 landing clearance was issued.
The aircraft crossed the outer marker over 2,000 feet above the ILS glide slope. The rate of descent during the final approach exceeded 2,000 ft/min, approximately three times the United Air Lines recommended rate of descent for landing approaches. The first officer attempted to apply power but the captain stopped him. Power was then applied too late to arrest the rate of descent. The airplane touched down 335 feet short of the threshold of runway 34L. The right and left main landing gear began to separate and the airplane slid onto the runway. Severe upward and rearward impact forces from the right main Landing gear assembly produced a large impact hole and ruptured fuel lines and the no. 3 generator leads between fuselage station 1030 and 1130 on the right side. The fuel was ignited by sparks from the fuselage scraping on the runway and/or the severed generator leads.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the captain to take timely action to arrest an excessive descent rate during the landing approach."
Accident investigation:
|
Classification:
Landing after unstabilized approachUndershoot/overshoot
Sources:
» CAB Accident Report 1-0032» ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 Volume III (109-122)
Photos
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
Seat map Boeing 727-22 N7030U
accident date: 11-11-1965
type: Boeing 727-22
registration: N7030U
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 Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO to Salt Lake City International Airport, UT as the crow flies is 608 km (380 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO to Salt Lake City International Airport, UT as the crow flies is 608 km (380 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
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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Boeing 727
- 1832 built
- 3rd loss
- 3rd fatal accident
- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 37th worst accident (currently)
United States of America- 38th worst accident (at the time)
- 76th worst accident (currently)
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