ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 330311
| Date: | Friday 8 December 1972 |
| Time: | 14:28 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-222 |
| Owner/operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | N9031U |
| MSN: | 19069/75 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7247 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 61 |
| Other fatalities: | 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 2 km from Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA) |
| Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW/KMDW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft, named "City of Lincoln", took off from Washington-National Airport as United flight 553 to Chicago and Omaha. Departure time was 12:50 CST. Chicago ARTCC cleared the crew to descend to 4000 feet and the flight was given vectors for a Midway Airport runway 31L localizer course. At 14:19 the flight was transferred to Chicago Approach Control which later requested UA553 to slow down to 180 knots and later down to 160 knots. After issuing a descent clearance down to 2000 feet at 14:23 the controller requested the flight to slow down to approach speed because of separation between UA553 and a preceding Aero Commander. At 14:24 the Aero Commander passed the Outer Marker and was cleared to land on runway 31L. Two minutes later UA553 passed the Outer Marker inbound. Then, at 14:27:04 the air traffic controller decided to issue a missed approach clearance: "United 553 execute a missed approach make a left turn to a heading of 180 climb to 2000". At the same time, having just reached 1000 feet, the stick shaker suddenly activated. Full power was applied and the gear was retracted in an attempt to execute a missed approach. The Boeing continued to descend however, attaining a high nose up attitude (of at least 30deg, according to some survivors). The aircraft then clipped a tree and impacted trees, houses, utility pole cables and garages before coming to rest. Post crash fire destroyed part of the fuselage.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain's failure to exercise positive flight management during the execution of a non-precision approach, which culminated in a critical deterioration of airspeed into the stall regime where level flight could no longer be maintained."
Accident investigation:
|
Sources:
NTSB-AAR-73-16
Location
Images:
photo (c) J. Douglas Scroggins III; 2 km from Chicago-Midway, IL; 08 December 1972
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation