Narrative:
Northeast Airlines Flight 946, Fairchild FH-227C, departed Boston-Logan International Airport, USA at 17:42 hours for a flight to Lebanon, NH and Montpelier, VT. The Fairchild climbed to a cruising altitude of 8000 feet. At 18:08 the flight was cleared for an approach to the Lebanon Airport to cruise at 5,000 feet and report leaving 6,000 feet. At 18:10:45, the controller advised the crew that radar service had been terminated and the flight was cleared to contact the Lebanon Flight Service Station (FSS). One minute later the FSS told the crew that the weather was an estimated ceiling of 2,000 feet overcast; visibility was 10 miles; there were breaks in the overcast; the altimeter setting was 29.55; and the wind was calm.
The flight did not perform the published instrument approach procedure but executed an abbreviated approach by making a right turn from their northwesterly heading and then a left turn back to intercept the inbound radial to the VOR station. The inbound radial was intercepted at approximately 8 to 10 miles northeast of the VOR station where it passed through an altitude of about 4500 feet. The crew began the descent but did not level off at 2,800 feet m.s.l., the minimum altitude inbound to the VOR. During the approach to runway 25 the airplane contacted trees on the cloud-shrouded side of a steep, rocky, heavily wooded mountain (Moose Mountain), 57 feet below the summit at 2,237 feet m.s.l. The aircraft cut a swath trough the trees broke up and caught fire.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The premature initiation of a descent towards the Minimum Descent Altitude, based on navigational instrument indications of an impending station passage in an area of course roughness. The crew was not able to determine accurately its position at this time because they had performed a non standard instrument approach and there were no supplement navigational aids available for their use."
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
accident date: 25-10-1968
type: Fairchild FH-227C
registration: N380NE
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 25 October 1968 |
| Time: | 18:10 |
| Type: |  Fairchild FH-227C |
| Operator: | Northeast Airlines |
| Registration: | N380NE |
| MSN: | 517 |
| First flight: | 1966 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3828 |
| Engines: | 2 Rolls-Royce Dart 532-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 39 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 32 / Occupants: 42 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 15,2 km (9.5 mls) NE of Lebanon Airport, NH (LEB) ( United States of America)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 682 m (2238 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Boston-Logan International Airport, MA (BOS/KBOS), United States of America |
| Lebanon Regional Airport, NH (LEB/KLEB), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 946 |
Northeast Airlines Flight 946, Fairchild FH-227C, departed Boston-Logan International Airport, USA at 17:42 hours for a flight to Lebanon, NH and Montpelier, VT. The Fairchild climbed to a cruising altitude of 8000 feet. At 18:08 the flight was cleared for an approach to the Lebanon Airport to cruise at 5,000 feet and report leaving 6,000 feet. At 18:10:45, the controller advised the crew that radar service had been terminated and the flight was cleared to contact the Lebanon Flight Service Station (FSS). One minute later the FSS told the crew that the weather was an estimated ceiling of 2,000 feet overcast; visibility was 10 miles; there were breaks in the overcast; the altimeter setting was 29.55; and the wind was calm.
The flight did not perform the published instrument approach procedure but executed an abbreviated approach by making a right turn from their northwesterly heading and then a left turn back to intercept the inbound radial to the VOR station. The inbound radial was intercepted at approximately 8 to 10 miles northeast of the VOR station where it passed through an altitude of about 4500 feet. The crew began the descent but did not level off at 2,800 feet m.s.l., the minimum altitude inbound to the VOR. During the approach to runway 25 the airplane contacted trees on the cloud-shrouded side of a steep, rocky, heavily wooded mountain (Moose Mountain), 57 feet below the summit at 2,237 feet m.s.l. The aircraft cut a swath trough the trees broke up and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The premature initiation of a descent towards the Minimum Descent Altitude, based on navigational instrument indications of an impending station passage in an area of course roughness. The crew was not able to determine accurately its position at this time because they had performed a non standard instrument approach and there were no supplement navigational aids available for their use."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Premature descent Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Follow-up / safety actions
Acting upon an NTSB recommendation, the FAA on Nov.7, 1968 issued an Operations and Maintenance Alert regarding the erratic operation and false reversals of Wilcox 806 VOR receivers. One month later the FAA issued Advisory Circular No. 91-18, regarding course needle oscillations on VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) receivers. The Wilcox company also took action to recommending three modifications to the Wilcox 806A receiver to improve the performance of the receiver. NTSB issued 2 Safety Recommendations
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Photos
accident date: 25-10-1968
type: Fairchild FH-227C
registration: N380NE
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 Boston-Logan International Airport, MA to Lebanon Regional Airport, NH as the crow flies is 174 km (109 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Boston-Logan International Airport, MA to Lebanon Regional Airport, NH as the crow flies is 174 km (109 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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Fairchild FH-227
- 78 built
- 2nd loss
- 2nd fatal accident
- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 6th worst accident (currently)
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