Saipan International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Saipan Northern Mariana Islands
Tuesady, October 27, 1992 15:05 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AN FAA OPERATIONS INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND INTERVIEWED WITNESSES AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10 AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 7 ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF. THEY SAID THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF FROM AN INTERSECTION ON RUNWAY 7, ABOUT 2,700 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE DC-10 WAS LIFTING OFF THE GROUND. THEY FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 TO 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND; BANKED ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT; CORRECTED TO ABOUT A 30 DEGREE RIGHT BANK; AND THEN 'SNAPPED' 120 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS POINT, THE WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE. THE WITNESSES STATED THEY BELIEVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE DEPARTING DC-10.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT NOT FOLLOWING WAKE TURBULENCE (VOTEX) AVOIDANCE PROCEDURES, WHICH ARE DETAILED IN FAA PUBLICATIONS, RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURBULENCE. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE AFTER ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURBULENCE, AND 2) INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO EFFECT A RECOVERY FROM THE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/27/1992
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1505
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City SAIPAN
Event State --
Event Country NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Zipcode of the event site 96950
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GSN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 70
Airport Elevation 215
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2110 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 250
Weather Observation Facility ID GSN
Elevation of weather observation facility 215
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 26
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2992
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 26 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47838
Date of most recent change to record Jan 31 2003 12:08PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5074J
NTSB Number LAX93LA019
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 310R
Aircraft Series Identifier 310R
Aircraft Serial Number 310R-0194
Certified Max Gross Weight 5500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Oct 20 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. P. P. 318
Aircraft Owner City SAIPAN
Aircraft Owner State PO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96950
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code PIVA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code GSN
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 2105
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GRO
Destination City ROTA
Destination State MP
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 7
Runway Length 8700
Runway Width 200
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --