ASN Aircraft accident Fairchild FH-227B N7818M Albany Airport, NY (ALB)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 3 March 1972
Time:20:48
Type:Silhouette image of generic F27 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Fairchild FH-227B
Operator:Mohawk Airlines
Registration: N7818M
MSN: 541
First flight: 1967
Total airframe hrs:10068
Cycles:15714
Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce Dart 532-7
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 45
Total:Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 48
Ground casualties:Fatalities: 1
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:6 km (3.8 mls) S of Albany Airport, NY (ALB) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA), United States of America
Destination airport:Albany Airport, NY (ALB/KALB), United States of America
Flightnumber: 405
Narrative:
The aircraft was 8,5 miles S of the airport on an ILS back course approach to runway 01 when the crew reported problems with the propeller cruise lock. The prop could not be feathered and the aircraft struck a house 3,5 miles short of the runway.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The inability of the crew to feather the left propeller, in combination with the descent of the aircraft below the prescribed minimum altitudes for the approach. The Board is unable to determine why the left propeller could not be feathered. Contributing causal factors for the nonstandard approach were the captain's preoccupation with a cruise pitch lock malfunction, the first officer's failure to adhere to company altitude awareness procedures, and the captain's failure to delegate any meaningful responsibilities to the copilot which resulted in a lack of effective task sharing during the emergency. Also, the Board was unable to determine why the propeller pitch lock malfunctioned during the descent."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 1 months
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-73-08
Download report: Final report


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 5 Safety Recommendations

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Photos

photo of Fairchild-FH-227B-N7818M
accident date: 03-03-1972
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: N7818M
photo of Fairchild-FH-227B-N7818M
accident date: 03-03-1972
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: N7818M
photo of Fairchild-FH-227B-N7818M
accident date: 03-03-1972
type: Fairchild FH-227B
registration: N7818M
 

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 York-La Guardia Airport, NY to Albany Airport, NY as the crow flies is 218 km (136 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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Fairchild FH-227

  • 78 built
  • 5th loss
  • 5th fatal accident
  • 4th worst accident (at the time)
  • 12th worst accident (currently)
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