Narrative:
United Flight 2885 departed Cleveland at 01:15 for a cargo flight to Los Angeles via Detroit. The DC-8 arrived at Detroit at 01:52. Cargo for Detroit was unloaded, the airplane was refueled, and cargo for Los Angeles was loaded. The engines were started, and then the crew called for taxi instructions at 02:45:58. During the taxi, the flightcrew accomplished the before takeoff checklist. The second officer called "trim" and the first officer responded "set". The flightcrew however, inadvertently overlooked setting the stabilizer trim for takeoff, and the setting of 7.5 units ANU was the previous landing trim setting. At 02:49:16, the captain, the first officer, and the second officer discussed the idea of the first officer switching seats with the second officer. They then switched seats about 02:49:40. United 2885 called for clearance onto runway 21R at 02:49:58 and was cleared for takeoff at 02:50:03. The throttles were advanced for takeoff at 02:51:05 and power stabilized 7 seconds later. Speed callouts "eighty knots" and "Vee One" were called by the captain and the airplane broke ground about 02:51:41. The airplane continued to climb with wings level to about 1,000 feet. The airplane then rolled to the right in a gradual right turn until it was in a wings vertical position (right wing down, left wing up) and crashed into a freshly plowed farm field.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's failure to follow procedural checklist requirements and to detect and correct a mistrimmed stabiliser before the aircraft became uncontrollable. Contributing to the accident was the captain allowing the second officer, who was not qualified to act as a pilot, to occupy the seat of the first officer and to conduct the take-off."
Wrong takeoff configuration (flaps/trim)
Loss of control
» NTSB-AAR-83-07
accident date: 11-01-1983
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F
registration: N8053U
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Tuesday 11 January 1983 |
| Time: | 02:52 |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F |
| Operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | N8053U |
| MSN: | 46010/406 |
| First flight: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 31902 |
| Cycles: | 13474 |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW), United States of America |
| Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | UA2885 |
United Flight 2885 departed Cleveland at 01:15 for a cargo flight to Los Angeles via Detroit. The DC-8 arrived at Detroit at 01:52. Cargo for Detroit was unloaded, the airplane was refueled, and cargo for Los Angeles was loaded. The engines were started, and then the crew called for taxi instructions at 02:45:58. During the taxi, the flightcrew accomplished the before takeoff checklist. The second officer called "trim" and the first officer responded "set". The flightcrew however, inadvertently overlooked setting the stabilizer trim for takeoff, and the setting of 7.5 units ANU was the previous landing trim setting. At 02:49:16, the captain, the first officer, and the second officer discussed the idea of the first officer switching seats with the second officer. They then switched seats about 02:49:40. United 2885 called for clearance onto runway 21R at 02:49:58 and was cleared for takeoff at 02:50:03. The throttles were advanced for takeoff at 02:51:05 and power stabilized 7 seconds later. Speed callouts "eighty knots" and "Vee One" were called by the captain and the airplane broke ground about 02:51:41. The airplane continued to climb with wings level to about 1,000 feet. The airplane then rolled to the right in a gradual right turn until it was in a wings vertical position (right wing down, left wing up) and crashed into a freshly plowed farm field.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's failure to follow procedural checklist requirements and to detect and correct a mistrimmed stabiliser before the aircraft became uncontrollable. Contributing to the accident was the captain allowing the second officer, who was not qualified to act as a pilot, to occupy the seat of the first officer and to conduct the take-off."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Flightcrew un(der)qualifiedWrong takeoff configuration (flaps/trim)
Loss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 196-AN/119» NTSB-AAR-83-07
Photos
accident date: 11-01-1983
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F
registration: N8053U
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 Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI to Los Angeles International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 3156 km (1973 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI to Los Angeles International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 3156 km (1973 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
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.
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DC-8
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