ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N97S Huntington, WV
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 14 November 1970
Time:19:36
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC93 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
Operator:Southern Airways
Registration: N97S
MSN: 47245/510
First flight: 1969
Total airframe hrs:3667
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7
Crew:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 71 / Occupants: 71
Total:Fatalities: 75 / Occupants: 75
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:1,6 km (1 mls) W of Huntington, WV (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Kinston-Stallings Field, NC (ISO/KISO), United States of America
Destination airport:Huntington-Tri-State Airport, WV (HTS/KHTS), United States of America
Flightnumber: 932
Narrative:
Southern Airlines Flight 932 departed Kinston, North Carolina, USA at 18:38 to return members of the Marshall University football team, coaching staff and other passengers to Huntington, West Virginia. After an uneventful flight, the crew contacted Huntington Approach Control at 19:23. The controller later cleared them for a runway 11 localizer approach. At 19:34 the flight passed the Outer Marker and they were cleared to land. In weather conditions of mist and light rain with low clouds (scattered clouds at 300 feet, broken overcast at 500 feet solid overcast at 1000 feet), the aircraft descended below MDA (1240 ft msl) while the flight crew still not had the runway environment in sight.
The aircraft then and struck trees on a hill at an elevation of 922 ft msl, approximately 1 mile short of the runway. The aircraft then crashed and caught fire.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The descent below Minimum Descent Altitude during a non precision approach under adverse weather conditions, without visual contact with the runway environment. The Board has been unable to determine the reason for this descent, although the two most likely explanations are: a) improper use of cockpit instrument data; or b) an altimetry system error."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 5 months
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-72-11
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» NTSB-AAR-72-11


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 3 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of DC-9-31-N97S
photo of DC-9-31-N97S
 

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 Kinston-Stallings Field, NC to Huntington-Tri-State Airport, WV as the crow flies is 551 km (344 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

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
  • 5th loss
  • 5th fatal accident
  • 4th worst accident (at the time)
  • 11th worst accident (currently)
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 United States of America
  • 14th worst accident (at the time)
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