ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N9345 Duarte, CA

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Last updated: 23 March 2019

Status:	Final
Date:	Sunday 6 June 1971
Time:	18:11
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31
Operator:	Hughes Airwest
Registration:	N9345
C/n / msn:	47441/503
First flight:	1969
Total airframe hrs:	5542
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7
Crew:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:	Fatalities: 44 / Occupants: 44
Total:	Fatalities: 49 / Occupants: 49
Collision casualties:	Fatalities: 1
Aircraft damage:	Damaged beyond repair
Location:	7 km (4.4 mls) N of Duarte, CA ( United States of America)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America
Destination airport:	Salt Lake City International Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC), United States of America
Flightnumber:	706

Narrative:
Airwest flight 706, a DC-9, was to fly from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Seattle, WA (SEA) with intermediate stops at Salt Lake City (SLC), Boise (BOI), Lewiston (LWS), Pasco (PSC) and Yakima (YKM). The aircraft departed Los Angeles at 18:02. At 18:09 the crew reported leaving FL120 and Los Angeles ARTCC cleared them direct to Daggett. At 17:16 h a US Marine Corps McDonnell F-4B Phantom 151458 departed Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Fallon for a flight to MCAS El Toro at low altitude. The aircraft had several technical difficulties, including an inoperative transponder and a leak in the oxygen system. Due to deteriorating visibility northwest of Palmdale, the crew climbed to 15,500 feet . Shortly after level-off, aircraft was 50 miles from MCAS El Toro. The pilot executed a 360° aileron roll at this time, which took approximately 3seconds to complete. The Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) estimated that the true airspeed in the climb and after level-off was 420 knots. The F-4B collided with the Airwest DC-9 about 1 minute and 20sec after the roll, at 15150 feet. After the collision, the F-4 began to tumble violently about the lateral axis. The RIO waited about 5 seconds, and, after seeing numerous warning lights in the cockpit, he ejected from the aircraft . The ejection was successful, and he parachuted to the ground without injury. The other F-4 crewmember did not survive the accident.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: The failure of both crews to see and avoid each other but it is recognized that they had only marginal capability to detect, assess, and avoid the collision. Other causal factors include a very high closure rate, comingling of IFR and VFR traffic in an area where the limitation of the ATC system precludes effective separation of such traffic, and failure of the crew of BuNo458 to request radar advisory service, particularly considering the fact that they had an inoperable transponder."

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency:	NTSB
Status:	Investigation completed
Duration:	1 year and 3 months
Accident number:	NTSB/AAR-72-26
Download report:	Final report

Classification:

Mid air collision
Loss of control

Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 10 Safety Recommendations

Issued: 21-JUL-1971	To:	A-72-200
INSTALL VIDEO TAPE AT ALL FAA ATC RADAR DISPLAYS, BOTH TERMINAL AND EN-ROUTE FOR USE AS AN INVESTIGATION TOOL. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 21-JUL-1971	To:	A-72-201
INSTALL AN OPEN "AREA" MICROPHONE AT EACH TERMINAL AND CENTER SECTOR POSITION TO RECORD ALL CONVERSATION AT THE CONTROL POSITIONS. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 21-JUL-1971	To:	A-72-202
ESTABLISH CLIMB AND DESCENT CORRIDORS EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF THE TCA\'S TO THE BASE OF APC, TO REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL THE BASE OF APC HAS BEEN LOWERED TO THE TOP OF THE TCA\'S. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 21-JUL-1971	To:	A-72-203
ESTABLISH MORE DEFINITIVE PROCEDURES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF CONTROLLER PERSONNEL IN HANDLING CODE 7700 AIRCRAFT. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 21-JUL-1971	To:	A-72-204
REVIEW RADAR PERFORMANCE MONITORING PROCEDURES TO ASSURE THAT ALL RADAR FACILITIES ARE CAPABLE OF RECEIVING CODE 7700 TRANSPONDER RETURNS. (Closed - Unacceptable Action)
Issued: 15-OCT-1971	To:	A-71-48
REVIEW THE FEASIBILITY OF RESTRICTING ALL TYPES OF LOW LEVEL TRAINING, WHICH REQUIRES AIRSPEEDS IN EXCESS OF THE FAR LIMITATIONS, TO DESIGNATED RESTRICTED AREAS AND LOW-LEVEL NAVIGATION ROUTES. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 15-OCT-1971	To:	A-71-49
REPHRASE THE WORDING CONTAINED IN YOUR ALTITUDE/AIRSPEED LIMITATIONS AND DELINEATE EXPLICITLY THOSE INSTANCES WHEREIN AIRSPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 10,000 FEET/250 KIAS LIMITATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED. THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT THE EXCEPTIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: A. CLIMBS AND DESCENTS TO TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AUTHORIZED AND/OR DESIGNATED TRAINING AREAS AND LOW-LEVEL NAVIGATION ROUTES. B. THOSE INSTANCES WHERE SAFETY OF EITHER CREW OR AIRCRAFT REQUIRE OPERATIONS IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITATION. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 15-OCT-1971	To:	A-71-50
EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THE AIR INTERCEPT RADAR ON ALL MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO PROVIDE COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE(AS AN ADDITIONAL AID TO THE "SEE AND BE SEEN" CONCEPT, AND SHOULD THIS PROVE FEASIBLE, INSTITUTE AND ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO USE THE RADAR FOR THIS PURPOSE ON ALL FLIGHTS WHERE ITS USE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR MORE URGENT MILITARY MISSION REQUIREMENTS. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 15-OCT-1971	To:	A-71-51
INSTITUTE A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MORE PUBLICITY TO THE EXISTENCE, FUNCTION, AND USE OF THE FAA RADAR ADVISORY SERVICE IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE VFR FLIGHT IS REQUIRED THROUGH HIGH-DENSITY TRAFFIC AREAS. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MAKING THE REQUEST FOR SUCH SERVICE A MANDATORY PROCEDURE. (Closed - Acceptable Action)
Issued: 09-NOV-1971	To:	A-71-52
COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, AND, IN AREAS WHERE A LARGE INTERMIX OF CIVIL AND MILITARY TRAFFIC EXISTS, DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO INSURE THAT APPROPRIATE GRAPHICAL DEPICTIONS OF AIRSPACE UTILIZATION AND TYPICAL FLOW PATTERNS ARE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED AT ALL AIRPORTS AND OPERATIONAL BASES FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL AIRSPACE USERS. (Closed - Acceptable Action)

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Photos

photo of McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N9345

Wreckage of the Hughes Airwest DC-9

Wreckage of the F-4 Phantom

Closing diagram of Airwest DC-9 and F-4 Phantom near Duarte, CA

View from Airwest DC-9 flight deck prior to collision with F-4 Phantom

View from F-4 Phantom flight deck prior to collision with Airwest DC-9

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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 Los Angeles International Airport, CA to Salt Lake City International Airport, UT as the crow flies is 943 km (589 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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.

languages:

DC-9-30

662 built
6^th loss
6^th fatal accident
5^th worst accident (at the time)
17^th worst accident (currently)

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United States of America

35^th worst accident (at the time)
62^nd worst accident (currently)

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