Narrative:
Weather was poor around Cape May when Flight 977 approached. The sky was obscured with a 400 feet indefinite ceiling and a visibility of 1-1,5 miles existed. The aircraft was making a runway 23 VOR approach when it collided with the ground 4000 feet short of the threshold.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's lack of altitude awareness during a circling approach permitting the aircraft's flight path to deviate below a safe approach profile. The aircraft's rate of descent and descent flight path angle increased as a result of windshear encountered during visual approach below minimum descent altitude. The flight crew did not recognize these flight path deviations because they were relying on visual references which were degraded by non-homogeneous fog and on kinesthetic cues which were adversely affected by the aircraft's forward centre of gravity resulting from the improperly loaded aircraft. Contributing to the accident was the lack of company procedures requiring altitude-callouts during the visual portion of an approach."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 12 December 1976 |
| Time: | 23:26 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 |
| Operated by: | Atlantic City Airlines |
| On behalf of: | Allegheny Commuter |
| Registration: | N101AC |
| MSN: | 262 |
| First flight: | 1969 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 8 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Wildwood-Cape May County Airport, NJ (WWD) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Atlantic City-Bader Field, NJ (AIY/KAIY), United States of America |
| Wildwood-Cape May County Airport, NJ (WWD/KWWD), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 977 |
Weather was poor around Cape May when Flight 977 approached. The sky was obscured with a 400 feet indefinite ceiling and a visibility of 1-1,5 miles existed. The aircraft was making a runway 23 VOR approach when it collided with the ground 4000 feet short of the threshold.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's lack of altitude awareness during a circling approach permitting the aircraft's flight path to deviate below a safe approach profile. The aircraft's rate of descent and descent flight path angle increased as a result of windshear encountered during visual approach below minimum descent altitude. The flight crew did not recognize these flight path deviations because they were relying on visual references which were degraded by non-homogeneous fog and on kinesthetic cues which were adversely affected by the aircraft's forward centre of gravity resulting from the improperly loaded aircraft. Contributing to the accident was the lack of company procedures requiring altitude-callouts during the visual portion of an approach."
Accident investigation:
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Sources:
» ICAO Circular 146-AN/96 (168-183)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 Atlantic City-Bader Field, NJ to Wildwood-Cape May County Airport, NJ as the crow flies is 55 km (34 miles).
Distance from Atlantic City-Bader Field, NJ to Wildwood-Cape May County Airport, NJ as the crow flies is 55 km (34 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.
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