Statuts: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Date: | mardi 12 août 1969 |
Heure: | 14:09 |
Type/Sous-type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
Compagnie: | Caribair |
Immatriculation: | N938PR |
Numéro de série: | 47098/108 |
Année de Fabrication: | 1967 |
Heures de vol: | 4395 |
Equipage: | victimes: 0 / Ã bord: 5 |
Passagers: | victimes: 0 / Ã bord: 114 |
Total: | victimes: 0 / Ã bord: 119 |
Dégats de l'appareil: | Substantiels |
Conséquences: | Repaired |
Lieu de l'accident: | Saint Thomas-Harry S.Truman Airport (STT) ( Vierges américaines)
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Phase de vol: | A l'atterrissage (LDG) |
Nature: | Transport de Passagers Intern. |
Aéroport de départ: | San Juan (unknown airport), Porto Rico |
Aéroport de destination: | Saint Thomas-Harry S.Truman Airport (STT/TIST), Vierges américaines |
Numéro de vol: | 340 |
Détails:Caribbean Atlantic Airlines Flight 340, a Douglas DC-9-31, N938PR, was involved in a landing accident at Saint Thomas-Harry S.Truman Airport, Virgin Islands. The aircraft, on its landing rollout, continued 323 feet beyond the far end of runway 9, and came to rest in an automobile repair shop, after striking several vehicles. There were 114 passengers aboard and a crew of five. Evacuation of the aircraft was orderly, with one passenger sustaining minor injuries. Three occupants of the ground vehicles, which were struck by the aircraft after it left the runway, were seriously injured and one was slightly injured.
The weather in the vicinity of the airport had been characterized by intermittent rain showers from early in the morning through the time of the accident, and a total of 2.74 inches of rain was recorded for the 24-hour period. The existence of a considerable amount of standing water on the runway was corroborated by witnesses who stated that the aircraft was churning up heavy water spray on its rollout and did not appear to be decelerating very rapidly .
Near the end of the runway, the aircraft was observed to be fish-tailing which was accompanied by loud sounds of engine reversing and associated popping noises. White tire streaks, typical of those observed in cases of known hydroplaning, were observed in the last 1,400 feet of runway, leading; off the runway into the aircraft tire tracks in the wet, sodded area between the runway and the street.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The loss of effective braking action caused by dynamic hydroplaning of the landing gear wheels on a wet/flooded runway. Contributing factors were a higher-than-normal touchdown speed and the location of the airport and its topography which permitted excess levels of water to accumulate on the runway."
Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 1 year and 1 months | Accident number: | NTSB-AAR-70-23 | Download report: | Final report
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Opérations de secours
NTSB issued 1 Safety Recommendation
Issued: 19-AUG-1970 | To: | A-70-43 |
1. REEVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE WET RUNWAY STOPPING DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS, AND 2. CONSIDER THE FEASIBILITY OF INCORPORATING THE NASA TRACTION TEST PROCEDURE IN REVISED WET RUNWAY LENGTH REQUIREMENTS FOR AIR CARRIER AND OTHER APPROPRIATE AVIATION OPERATIONS. (Closed - Acceptable Action) |
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Les informations ci-dessus ne représentent pas l'opinion de la 'Flight Safety Foundation' ou de 'Aviation Safety Network' sur les causes de l'accident. Ces informations prélimimaires sont basées sur les faits tel qu'ils sont connus à ce jour.