Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Orlando Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Orlando, Florida 32827
Saturday, October 7, 1989 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
RAINFALL BECAME MODERATE TO HEAVY AS THE ACFT WAS BEING PUSHED BACK IN PREPARATION FOR FLT. DURING THAT TIME, LIGHTNING STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE ACFT WHILE A MECHANIC (GROUND GUIDE) WAS WEARING A HEADSET CONNECTED TO THE ACFT. THE LIGHTNING TRAVELED THRU THE ACFT & FATALLY INJURED THE MECHANIC. WITNESSES & SUPERVISORS STATED THAT THEY HAD OBSERVED LIGHTNING IN THE AREA BEFORE THE ACDNT, BUT THEY HAD NOT OBSERVED ANY FOR ABOUT 15 MIN; PUSH BACK WAS INITIATED AFTER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH TOWER PSNL. THE AIRLINE'S SAFETY MANUAL PROHIBITED GROUND GUIDE OPN DURING PERIODS OF OBSERVED LIGHTNING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE GROUND GUIDE (MECHANIC) BY COMPANY/OPERATOR/MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, FAILURE OF THE GROUND GUIDE TO FOLLOW SAFETY PROCEDURES, AND THE WEATHER CONDITION (LIGHTNING).
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/7/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ORLANDO |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32827 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ORLANDO INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MCO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2120 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 96 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 1 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 107 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1518 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 7 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39862 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 18 2002 9:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N958VJ |
| NTSB Number | MIA90FA008 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | DC-9-31 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DC-9-31 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 47351 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 104000 |
| 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 | 116 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USAIR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PITSSBURGH INTL. AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | PITTSBURGH |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 15231 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | US AIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PITTSBURGH INTL APRT |
| Operator City | PITTSBURGH |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 15231 |
| Operator Code | USAA |
| 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 | Non-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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | MCO |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1850 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PHL |
| Destination City | PHILADELPHIA |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |