Erie Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Erie, Pennsylvania 16505
Sunday, October 14, 1984 4:09 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ORIG DESTN WAS YOUNGSTOWN, OH, BUT ITS WX WAS BLO MINS, SO THE FLT TO TRANSPORT A FOOTBALL TEAM WAS PLANNED TO ERIE WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE MINS. THE COACH & BUSINESS MANAGER WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS, BUT PLANS WERE MADE TO BUS THE TEAM ON TO YOUNGSTOWN. EN ROUTE, THE MANAGER OCCUPIED A JUMPSEAT IN THE COCKPIT IN VIOLATION OF 14 CFR 121. THE WX AT ERIE DETERIORATED TO 100' OBSCD & 1/4 MI VIS WITH FOG. THE CREW ENTERED HOLDING WITHOUT CLNC TO WAIT FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE. THEY ELECTED TO MAKE AN ILS APCH (MINS 200' CIG & 1/2 MI VIS) & LEFT THE HOLDING PATTERN WITHOUT CLNC. AT APRX 2800', RADAR CONTACT WITH ATC WAS LOST, BUT THEY RECEIVED AN ABOVE MINS WX REPORT FM THE STATION AGENT & CONTD THE APCH WITHOUT AN ATC CLNC. THEY DID NOT ACTIVATE THE APCH LGTS. AT THE DH, THE COPLT SAID 'I DON'T HAVE IT', BUT THE CAPT SAW LGTS TO HIS LEFT & CONTD THE LANDING. THE ACFT LANDED ON SOFT GND BESIDE THE RWY & ROLLED TO A STOP WITH MINOR DMG. RWY LGTS AT STEP 1 INSTEAD OF 2 DUE TO A WIRING PRBLM. CAPT WAS ON DUTY APRX 15 HRS, AWAKE 19.5 HRS. 2 EMERG SLIDES MALF.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 10/14/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 409
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ERIE
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 16505
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport ERIE INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ERI
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 406 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID ERI
Elevation of weather observation facility 732
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
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) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 77
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5121
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 12 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28027
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 N965VJ
NTSB Number DCA85IA001
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Minor
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name McDonnell Douglas
Aircraft Model DC-9-30
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-9-30
Aircraft Serial Number 47374
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 --
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 US AIR
Aircraft Owner Street Address PITTSBURGH INT'L AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City PITTISBURGH
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
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 Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City NASHVILLE
Departure State TN
Departure Country
Departure Time 215
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code ERI
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 24
Runway Length 6500
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --