Erie Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Erie, Pennsylvania
Friday, February 21, 1986 8:59 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARRIVAL, THE CREW OF US AIR FLT 499 LNDD ON RWY 24, WHICH WAS CVRD WITH SNW. RPRTDLY, WHILE LNDG, THE ACFT TOUCHED DWN APRX 1800 TO 2000' BYND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALTHO ARMED, THE SPOILERS DID NOT AUTO-DEPLOY, SO THE CAPT OPERATEDTHEM MANUALLY. HE LOWERED THE ACFT'S NOSE, ACTUATED REVERSE THRUST & APPLIED BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE END OF THE RWY, RAN OVR A RWY END ID LGT, STRUCK A FENCE & CAME TO REST STRADDLING A ROAD. THE CREW HAD PLANNED ON MAKING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 6, BUT THE RVR WAS ONLY 2800' & A MIN RVR OF 4000' WAS REQD FOR THAT RWY. THE CREW ELECTED TO LND ON RWY 24, SINCE 1/2 MI VIS WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THAT RWY. HOWEVER, THE APCH WAS MADE WITH A QTRG TAIL WND & APRX 10 KTS ABV VREF. TAIL WND LNDGS WERE NOT AUTHORIZED ON RWY 24 IN WET/SLIPPERY CONDS. THE RWY BRAKING ACTION WAS RPRTD AS FAIR-TO-POOR. THE PLT'S HANDBOOK CAUTIONED THE CREW TO MONITOR THE SPOILERS WHEN LNDG ON SLIPPERY RWYS, SINCE THE SPOILERS AUTO-DEPLOY ONLY WITH WHEEL SPIN-UP OR WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL IS ON THE GROUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/21/1986
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 859
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ERIE
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport ERIE INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID KERI
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 732
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 22
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1337
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 21 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 31246
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N961VJ
NTSB Number DCA86AA018
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
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 47506
Certified Max Gross Weight 105000
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 110
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 326
Airframe Hours 42104
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name USAIR
Aircraft Owner Street Address HANGAR 12 WASHINGTON NAT'L
Aircraft Owner City WASHINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20001
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name USAIR
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code YYZ
Departure City TORONTO,CANADA
Departure State OF
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 24
Runway Length 6000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --