Accident
Last updated: 24 May 2013
Estado:Final
Fecha:03 MAR 1991
Hora:09:44
Tipo:Boeing 737-291
Operador:United Airlines
Registración: N999UA
Numéro de série: 22742/875
Año de Construcción: 1982-05-11 (8 years 10 months)
Horas Totales de la Célula:26050
Ciclos:19734
Motores: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17
Tripulación:Fatalidades: 5 / Ocupantes: 5
Pasajeros:Fatalidades: 20 / Ocupantes: 20
Total:Fatalidades: 25 / Ocupantes: 25
Daños en la Aeronave: Destruido
Consecuencias: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Ubicación:6,4 km (4 milles) S of Colorado Springs, CO (Estados Unidos de América) show on map
Fase: Aproximación (APR)
Naturaleza:Vuelo Doméstico Programado
Aeropuerto de Salida:Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), Estados Unidos de América
Aeropuerto de Llegada:Colorado Springs-Peterson Field, CO (COS/KCOS), Estados Unidos de América
Número de Vuelo: 585
Descripción:
Flight 585 left Peoria for Colorado Springs, with intermediate stops at Moline, IL and Denver, CO. The aircraft took off from Denver at 09:23 for the last segment of the flight, estimating Colorado Springs at 09:42. (MST). The aircraft was cleared for a visual approach to runway 35. The aircraft then suddenly rolled to the right and started to pitch nose down. The crew tried to initiate a go-around by selecting 15-deg. flaps and an increase in thrust. The altitude decreased rapidly, acceleration increased to over 4G until the aircraft struck the ground of Widefield Park almost vertically.
After a 21-month investigation, the NTSB issued a report on the crash in December 1992. In that report, the NTSB said it 'could not identify conclusive evidence to explain the loss of' the aircraft, but indicated that the two most likely explanations were a malfunction of the airplane’s directional control system or an encounter with an unusually severe atmospheric disturbance.

Investigation into a September 1994 crash of a USAir Boeing 737-300 and an loss of control incident on June 9, 1996 (Eastwind Airlines Boeing 737-200), cited a malfunction in the plane’s rudder system as the most likely cause of all three events.


PROBABLE CAUSE: "A loss of control of the airplane resulting from the movement of the rudder surface to its blowdown limit. The rudder surface most likely deflected in a direction opposite to that commanded by the pilots as a result of a jam of the main rudder power control unit servo valve secondary slide to the servo valve housing offset from its neutral position and overtravel of the primary slide.

Fuentes:
» Aviation Week & Space Technology 11.03.1991 (25-26)
» Flight International 14-21.12.1992 (34)
» NTSB Safety Recommendations A-92-57 and -58
» NTSB/AAR-92/06
» Scramble Vol.13, nr.04
» Scramble 165

Official accident investigation report
investigating agency: National Transport Safety Bureau (NTSB) - USA
report status: Final
report number: NTSB/AAR-01-01
report released:27-MAR-2001
duration of investigation:3677 days (10 years )
download report: Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision with Terrain, United Airlines Flight 585, Boeing 737-200, N999UA, 4 Miles South of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Colorado Springs, Col (NTSB/AAR-01-01)
cover
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com

Subsiguiente / acciones de seguridad

NTSB issued 24 Safety Recommendations

Show all AD's and Safety Recommendations

Fotos
photo of Boeing 737-291 N999UA
 

Video/animation

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 Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO to Colorado Springs-Peterson Field, CO as the crow flies is 109 km (68 miles).

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Boeing 737-200

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  • 38th worst accident (actualmente)
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