Narrative:Southern Airways Flight 41, a scheduled air carrier passenger and cargo flight, struck an electric transmission line static cable during a VOR/DME approach to runway 13 at the Gulfport Municipal Airport. A successful go-around was accomplished and the aircraft was landed at Gulfport without further incident. The aircraft received substantial damage to the left main landing gear, left wing leading edge, and left fuselage. The left engine sustained foreign object ingestion damage. There was no fire.
A special weather observation made at the Gulfport Municipal Airport at 08:05 showed a partial obscuration with visibility three quarters of a mile in fog. The wind was from 040 degrees at 6 knots.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Inadequate monitoring of the approach. The captain was preoccupied with the prelanding checklist during the final approach and the first officer, who was flying the aircraft, was devoting his attention to an attempt to establish visual contact with the runway in low visibility. These activities resulted in an improperly executed VOR/DME approach during which the aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude before the crew acquired visual contact with the runway environment."
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 196 days (7 months) | Accident number: | NTSB-AAR-71-14 | Download report: | Final report
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Classification:
Collision with pole or wires
Forced landing on runway
Follow-up / safety actions
NTSB issued 4 Safety Recommendations
Issued: 31-MAR-1971 | To: | A-71-19 |
THAT A POLICY BE ESTABLISHED THAT NO INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE CHART BE PUBLISHED IN ADVANCE OF THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A COMMISSIONING FLIGHT CHECK OF THE FACILITY ON WHICH THE PROCEDURE IS BASED. (Closed - Acceptable Action) |
Issued: 01-SEP-1971 | To: | A-71-53 |
DEVELOP A GROUND PROXIMITY WARNING SYSTEM FOR USE IN THE APPROACH AND LANDING PHASES OF OPERATION WHICH WILL WARN FLIGHT CREWS OF EXCESSIVE RATES OF DESCENT, UNWANTED/INADVERTENT DESCENT BELOW MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDES, OR DESCENT ALTITUDES , OR DESCENT THROUGH DECISION HEIGHTS. IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE IF THE EQUIPMENT NOW INSTALLED COULD MEET THIS NEED. (Closed--No Longer Applicable) |
Issued: 01-SEP-1971 | To: | A-71-54 |
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF WARNING TO FLIGHT CREWS FOR USE DURING THE APPROACH AND LANDING PHASE OF FLIGHT. (Closed--No Longer Applicable) |
Issued: 01-SEP-1971 | To: | A-71-55 |
"COMPLETE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO COMMISSION THE ILS EQUIPMENT AT GULFPORT SINCE IT HAS BEEN INSTALLED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR." (Closed - Acceptable Action) |
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Photos
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 New Orleans-Moisant Field, LA to Gulfport Municipal Airport, MS as the crow flies is 122 km (76 miles).
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.