Washington National Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Washington, District Of Columbia 20000
Tuesady, December 28, 1982 10:28 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES TO DESCEND BELOW ITS NORMAL DESCENT PATH AND TO HORIZONTIALLY STRAY OFF COURSE TO THEPOINT THAT OFFICE BLDG OCCUPANTS AND PERSONS ON THE GROUND WERE CONCERNED BY THE APPEARANCE AND NOISE OF THE ACFT DURINGA VOR/DME APPROACH TO WASHINGTON NAT'L ARPT. THE FDR AND RADAR PLOTS CONFIRM THE POSITION OF THE ACFT. ONE OF THE BUILDINGS 2.5 MILES FROM THE ARPT IS ABOUT 396 FT MSL. THE VOR/DME APPROACH HAS AN ALT RESTRICTION OF 900 FT MSL AT 3 NMAND A MINIMUM DESCENT ALT OF 720 FT AT 2.5 NM. THE PLT WAS INTERVIEWED AND HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND THAT HE WAS AT THE ALT RESTRICTION AT THE 3 MILE DME. RADAR SHOWS HIS ALT AS ABOUT 517 FT AT 3 MILE DME AND ABOUT 400 FT AT 2.5 MILE DME. RADAR AND WITNESSES AGREE ON A TURN AND CLIMB AT THIS POINT TOWARD THE RIVER AND THE NORMAL APPROACH PATH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 12/28/1982
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1028
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City WASHINGTON
Event State DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 20000
Event Date Year 1982
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport WASHINGTON NATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1004
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 153
Weather Observation Facility ID DCA
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
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) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 57
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 73
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5115
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Oct 31 2002 4:04PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N752N
NTSB Number ATL83IA085
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 BOEING
Aircraft Model 737-222
Aircraft Series Identifier 737-222
Aircraft Serial Number 19073
Certified Max Gross Weight 104000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 112
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 668
Airframe Hours 32625
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PIEDMONT AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PIEDMONT AIRPORT
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
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 Unknown
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ROA
Departure City ROANOKE
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code DCA
Destination City WASHINGTON
Destination State DC
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 18 2002 4:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18
Runway Length 6869
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --