Accident description
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| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 04 APR 1977 |
| Time: | 16:19 EST |
| Type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
| Operator: | Southern Airways |
| Registration: | N1335U |
| C/n / msn: | 47393/608 |
| First flight: | 1971 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 15405 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 61 / Occupants: 81 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 63 / Occupants: 85 |
| Ground casualties: | Fatalities: 9 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | New Hope, GA (United States of America)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Huntsville-Madison County Airport, AL (HSV/KHSV), United States of America |
| Atlanta Municipal Airport, GA (ATL/KATL), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 242 |
Southern Fight 242 (Huntsville-Atlanta) entered severe thunderstorms between FL170 and FL140 over Rome, GA. Both engines failed and couldn't be restarted. An emergency landing was carried out on State Spur Highway 92. The aircraft crashed.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Total and unique loss of thrust from both engines while the aircraft was penetrating an area of severe thunderstorms. The loss of thrust was caused by the ingestion of massive amounts of water and hail which, in combination with thrust lever movement, induced severe stalling in and major damage to the engine compressors.
Major contributing factors include the failure of the company's dispatching system to provide the flight crew with up-to-date severe weather information pertaining to the aircraft's intended route of flight, the captain's reliance on airborne weather radar for penetration of thunderstorm areas, and limitations in the FAA's ATC system which precluded the timely dissemination of real-time hazardous weather information to the flight crew." Events:
Sources:
» NTSB-AAR-78-3
» Landmark Accidents: Deadly Surprise: Thunderstorms require a wide berth (AOPA Pilot, August 1998 Volume 41 / Number 8)
Official accident investigation report
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Statistics
22nd loss of a DC-9-30
8th worst accident involving a DC-9-30 (at the time)
14th worst accident involving a DC-9-30 (currently)
20th worst accident in United States of America (at the time)
37th worst accident in United States of America (currently) » figures explained
8th worst accident involving a DC-9-30 (at the time)
14th worst accident involving a DC-9-30 (currently)
20th worst accident in United States of America (at the time)
37th worst accident in United States of America (currently) » figures explained
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 Huntsville-Madison County Airport, AL (HSV/KHSV) to Atlanta Municipal Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) as the crow flies is 241 km (151 miles).
Distance from Huntsville-Madison County Airport, AL (HSV/KHSV) to Atlanta Municipal Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) as the crow flies is 241 km (151 miles).
