ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-225 N8867E Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA (ATL)

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Accident description

Last updated: 20 May 2013

Status:	Final
Date:	18 JAN 1990
Time:	19:04 EST
Type:	Boeing 727-225
Operator:	Eastern Air Lines
Registration:	N8867E
C/n / msn:	20823/994
First flight:	1973-11-28 (16 years 2 months)
Engines:	3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 149
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 157
Collision casualties:	Fatalities: 1
Airplane damage:	Substantial
Airplane fate:	Repaired
Location:	Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA (ATL) (United States of America)
Phase:	Landing (LDG)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA), United States of America
Destination airport:	Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL), United States of America
Flightnumber:	111

Narrative:
Eastern Airlines flight 111, while landing on the runway in night visual conditions, collided with an Epps Air Service Beechcraft King Air A100, N44UE. The King Air had been cleared to land on runway 26R ahead of the Eastern flight and was in its landing roll. It was struck from behind by the B-727, which had also been cleared to land on runway 26R. The B-727 sustained substantial damage, the King Air was destroyed as a result of the collision. The pilot of the King
Air sustained fatal injuries, and the copilot, the only other occupant, sustained severe injuries.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "(1) The failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to provide air traffic control procedures that adequately take into consideration human performance factors such as those which resulted in the failure of the north local controller to detect the developing conflict between N44UE and EA 111, and (2) the failure of the north local controller to ensure the separation of arriving aircraft which were using the same runway.
Contributing to the accident was the failure of the north local controller to follow the prescribed procedure of issuing appropriate traffic information to EA 111, and failure of the north final controller and the radar monitor controller to issue timely speed reductions to maintain adequate separation between aircraft on final approach."

Sources:
» Air Safety Week 3.4.1995 (p. 4)
» Aviation Week & Space Technology 29.1.90(20)
» NTSB/AAR-91/03

Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 5 Safety Recommendations

Show all AD's and Safety Recommendations

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 York-La Guardia Airport, NY to Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, GA as the crow flies is 1216 km (760 miles).

languages:

Issued: 12-JUN-1991	To: FAA	A-91-027
DEVELOP AN AIR TRAFFIC BULLETIN AND PROVIDE A MANDATORY FORMAL BRIEFING TO ALL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF, AND THE NEED FOR GIVING TRAFFIC INFORMATION WHEN ISSUING AN ANTICIPATED SEPARATION LANDING CLEARANCE. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 12-JUN-1991	To: FAA	A-91-028
AMEND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HANDBOOK, 711.65F, PARAGRAPH 3-127, TO PRECLUDE THE ISSUANCE OF MULTIPLE LANDING CLEARANCES TO AIRCRAFT OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL APPROACH FIX. ALSO, ESTABLISH A NUMERICAL LIMIT SO THAT NO MORE THAN TWO LANDING CLEARANCE MAY BE ISSUED TO SUCCESSIVE ARRIVALS. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 12-JUN-1991	To: FAA	A-91-029
Expedite efforts to fund the development and implementation of an operational system analogous to the airborne conflict alert system to alert controllers to pending runway incursions at all terminal facilities that are scheduled to receive airport surface detection equipment (ASDE III). (superseded by A-00-66) (Closed - Unacceptable Action/Superseded)
Issued: 12-JUN-1991	To: FAA	A-91-030
Conduct research and development efforts to provide airports that are not scheduled to receive airport surface detection equipment with an alternate, cost effective, system to bring controller and pilot attention to pending runway incursions in time to prevent ground collisions. (superseded by A-95-94) (Closed - Acceptable Action/Superseded)
Issued: 12-JUN-1991	To: FAA	A-91-031
INCORPORATE INTO THE TRAINING SYLLABUS AT THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION\'S ACADEMY AT OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, MATERIALS WHICH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF AND THE NEED FOR GIVING TRAFFIC INFORMATION WHEN ISSUING AN ANTICIPATED SEPARATION LANDING CLEARANCE. STRESS THAT THIS INFORMATION WILL ENHANCE PILOT AWARENESS AND VISUAL ACQUISITION OF PRECEDING TRAFFIC, THEREBY PROVIDING A REDUNDANCY IN SEPARATION ASSURANCE FOR CONTROLLERS AND PILOTS. (Closed - Acceptable Action)