Hughes Airwest Flight 706
Lewiston Airport, Idaho | |
4th stopover | Pasco Airport, Washington |
---|---|
Last stopover | Yakima Airport, Washington |
Destination | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Washington |
Occupants | 49 |
Passengers | 44 |
Crew | 6 |
Fatalities | 49 |
Survivors | 0 |
Second aircraft | |
A U.S. Marine Corps F-4B Phantom II, similar to the one involved | |
Type | McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II |
Operator | Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, United States Marine Corps |
Registration | BuNo.151458 |
Occupants | 2 |
Fatalities | 1 |
Injuries | 1 |
Survivors | 1 |
Hughes Airwest Flight 706 was a regularly scheduled flight operated by American domestic airline
The crash of Flight 706 prompted the United States Armed Forces to agree to reduce the number of military aircraft operating under visual flight rules in civilian air corridors and to require military aircraft to contact civilian air traffic controllers.
Flight histories
Flight 706 was a scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles International Airport, California, to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Washington. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 aircraft had accumulated more than 5,500 airframe hours since entering service in 1969.[2] It was operating under the livery and name of Air West; the airline had been recently purchased by Howard Hughes and rebranded Hughes Airwest.[1] The aircraft was piloted by Captain Theodore Nicolay, age 50, who had logged about 15,500 hours of total flying time, with more than 2,500 hours in DC-9s. His co-pilot was First Officer Price Bruner, age 49, who had over 17,100 total hours' flying time and almost 300 hours in DC-9s.[2][1]
Flight 706 departed from Los Angeles at 6:02 pm PDT, bound for Salt Lake City, Utah, the first of the five intermediate stopovers, followed by Boise and Lewiston in Idaho, and Pasco and Yakima in Washington before ending at Seattle. Control of the flight was transferred to Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center at 6:06 pm, four minutes after takeoff, and passed through 12,000 feet (3,700 m) at 6:09 pm and instructed to head 040 (magnetic) until receiving the Daggett VOR, then direct.[2][1] Flight 706's acknowledgement of this instruction was the last radio transmission received from the aircraft.[1]
The U.S. Marine Corps F-4B-18-MC Phantom II, Bureau Number (BuNo) 151458, coded '458', had been in operation since April 15, 1964. At the time of the accident, it was assigned to
'458' was part of a cross-country flight of two aircraft when its radio failed while landing at
Despite the inoperative transponder, Phillips received permission from his superiors to fly the F-4B anyway.[4] As the fighter proceeded to NAS Fallon in Nevada, the oxygen leak deteriorated until the system was disabled completely, and the pilot was instructed to fly at low altitude. The Phantom II departed NAS Fallon at 5:16 pm following a flight plan routing across the Fresno, Bakersfield, and Los Angeles air corridors.[1]
Flight 706 was operating under
Collision
Near the Bakersfield Flight Service Station, the crew of '458' decided to deviate east from their flight plan to avoid heavy air traffic in the Los Angeles area. Phillips was forced to climb to 15,500 feet (4,700 m) from 1,000 feet (300 m) because of deteriorating weather conditions. Meanwhile, shortly after takeoff, Flight 706 received two radar traffic advisories, neither of which indicated the presence of '458'.[1] Soon after reaching 15,500 feet (4,700 m), the fighter's DME (radio) showed MCAS El Toro was 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) away.[2] The pilot of '458' then performed an aileron roll, a flight maneuver that rolled the aircraft 360° to allow the pilot to observe any air traffic above or below the aircraft.[4] Schiess, the radar intercept officer, was operating the fighter's radar, which was unable to detect any aircraft due to its deteriorated condition.[7][8] Because of the stowed position of the scope, he had been leaning forward and looking downward at the instrument. Between three and ten seconds prior to the collision, he glanced up, suddenly observed the DC-9 in his peripheral vision and shouted a warning to the pilot. The pilot attempted an evasive roll, but was unable to clear the oncoming airliner.[1]
Around 6:11 pm, Flight 706 and '458'
Investigation
The stricken airliner crashed onto Mount Bliss in the San Gabriel Mountains at an
Some eyewitnesses reported the F-4B's right wing struck the center of the airliner's fuselage immediately after performing a barrel roll.[16] Other witnesses claimed that the F-4B ripped a large hole in the fuselage of the DC-9, through which papers and luggage streamed as the crippled airliner fell. Though papers with the words "Air West" and the date of June 6 were collected by Sheriff's deputies, no luggage was ever recovered.[12]
The
The DC-9 carried a primitive
Survivability
The NTSB determined it would have been impossible for any passenger aboard the Hughes Airwest DC-9 to survive the collision, disintegration, and crash of the aircraft. Though a severe ground fire ravaged both crash sites, the NTSB determined that all of the victims had died in the crash itself.[1]
It was further determined, however, where both crewmembers aboard the Marine F-4B could have survived the collision. Further investigation by the NTSB revealed a design flaw in the
Probable cause and recommendations
The NTSB released their final accident report on August 30, 1972. The report concluded:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of both crews to see and avoid each other, but recognizes that they had only marginal capability to detect, assess, and avoid the collision. Other causal factors include a very high closure rate, commingling of IFR and VFR traffic in an area where the limitation of the ATC system precludes effective separation of such traffic, and failure of the crew of BuNo458 to request radar advisory service, particularly considering the fact they had an inoperable transponder.
— National Transportation Safety Board, Aircraft Accident Report, Hughes Air West DC-9, N9345, and U.S. Marine Corps F-4B, 151458, Near Duarte, California, June 6, 1971, August 30, 1972, p. 27.[1]
During the course of the accident investigation, the NTSB attempted to recreate the conditions of the accident to determine the visibility of BuNo458 on June 6. They also calculated that their closing rate was about 1,000 ft/s (300 m/s), similar to the muzzle velocity of a .45 caliber bullet. The NTSB, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Marine Corps flew a series of F-4B fighters along the flight paths described by Schiess, the radar intercept officer, and various witnesses. While the tests were sufficient to determine the difficulty in locating and identifying the fighter on the radar scope, the many other variables involved in the June 6 incident, including the deteriorated condition of '458', compromised the validity of the study. This inability to ascertain the exact actions and circumstances of the air traffic controllers led the NTSB to recommend where the FAA should install both video and audio surveillance in all air traffic control areas.[1]
The NTSB report included a total of five recommendations for the FAA. These recommendations included: installing recorders for radar displays, installing audio conversation recorders at air traffic control facilities; establishing climb and descent corridors under ATC positive control in the vicinity of air terminals; and establishing more definitive procedures for receiving and handling the emergency transponder code 7700. Additionally, the NTSB strongly recommended that the FAA and the Department of Defense cooperate to develop a program, in areas where a large intermix of civil and military traffic exists, to ensure that appropriate graphical depictions of airspace utilization and typical flow patterns are prominently displayed at all airports and operational bases for the benefit of all airspace users.[1]
In addition to these recommendations, the NTSB also recommended the Department of Defense restrict high-speed, low-altitude aircraft operation in civilian air corridors, consider collision avoidance technologies on military aircraft, and make military pilots aware of the FAA's radar advisory service.[1]
Victims
A number of prominent members of the Utah business community were passengers on the flight returning from a deep sea fishing trip to Mexico, including nine members of The Fishy Trout and Drinking Society.[22]
Aftermath
The validity of the "see and avoid" doctrine as a safe means of aircraft navigation was a point of contention between the NTSB and the
In March 1971, the NTSB released a report summarizing the findings of a study of midair collisions. The report indicated that 204 of 396 fatalities in U.S. jetliner crashes since 1967 had occurred in mid-air collisions. Additionally, near-miss situations involving jetliners occurred on average at least once per day, with the Los Angeles and New York areas noted as being especially high-risk. Finally, the report noted that the current trend in air casualties indicated that a further 528 people would die in mid-air collisions during the following ten years. These figures did not include the casualties from Flight 706.[26][29]
An FAA study in 1968 had found that a quarter of the 2,230 near-miss aircraft encounters reported that year had involved a military aircraft.[30] Following the in-flight collision of Flight 706, the FAA and the US military agreed to cut down on VFR flights and operate instead under IFR. This transition would require military aircraft to file flight plans and obey civilian air traffic controllers.[30][31]
On June 21, 1971, 15 days after the collision, the
Later that year, Hughes Airwest changed its livery to its signature all-yellow.[34][35][36][37][38]
Litigation
A week after the crash, the families of various passengers aboard Flight 706 began filing lawsuits and court papers against Hughes Airwest and, later, the
Lawsuits against the United States government were delayed six months by the
On August 30, 1972, all the cases were consolidated into a single case to determine liability. The cases against the United States, Hughes Airwest, and Hughes Air Corporation were consolidated into a single
Dramatization
The story of the accident was featured on the thirteenth season of the Canadian TV series Mayday (known as Air Emergency and Air Disasters in the US, Mayday in Ireland and Air Crash Investigation in the UK and the rest of world) in an episode entitled "Speed Trap".[42]
See also
- Previous mid-air collisions attributed to failure to follow the "see and avoid" principle
- Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, 1969[26]
- Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, 1967[26]
- TWA Flight 553, 1967[26]
References
- ^ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2009-11-30.
- ^ a b c "Don't Place Blame for 2-Jet Crash" (PDF). Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, OH. AP. June 18, 1971. p. 11. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ a b c d Macomber, Frank (August 28, 1971). "A Disaster's Aftermath: Stiff New Flight Rules". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. Copley News Service. pp. 6A.
- ^ FAA. "Appendices, Glossary, Index". Instrument Flying Handbook (PDF) (2008 ed.). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- ^ "14 CFR § 91.113 - Right-of-way rules: Except water operations". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- ^ "Faulty Jet Radar System Linked to Mid-Air Collision" (PDF). The New York Times. New York. July 26, 1971. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
A Phantom jet had a faulty radar system when it collided with an airliner near Los Angeles last June 6, killing 50 persons, a report said today. A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board drew no conclusions as to why the crash occurred or who was to blame.
(subscription required) - ^ "Probe reveals faulty radar" (PDF). The Bulletin. Bend, OR. UPI. June 18, 1971. p. 6. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ a b "49 Perish as Marine jet, airliner collide". Rome News-Tribune. Georgia. Associated Press. June 7, 1971. p. 1.
- ^ a b c d "49 Believed Dead as DC-9 Collides with Navy F-4 Jet; Both Planes Fall in Flames in Coast Canyon – Radar Man Is Lone Survivor" (PDF). The New York Times. New York. Associated Press. June 7, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-11-29. (subscription required)
- ^ Goodman, Mike; Krimsky, George (June 7, 1971). "49 persons killed in midair collision" (PDF). The Free-Lance Star. Fredericksburg, VA. AP. pp. 1, 5. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ a b c "Navy Jet, Airliner Collide, 49 Killed" (PDF). Ludington Daily News. Ludington, MI. UPI. June 7, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ a b "Plane Wreckage in Small Pieces; Airliner Disintegrates After Coast Crash Fatal to 49" (PDF). The New York Times. New York. UPI. June 8, 1971. Retrieved 2010-12-10. (subscription required)
- ^ "50 died; nobody blamed" (PDF). Boca Raton News. Boca Raton, FL. UPI. June 8, 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-11-29.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Hunt for Air Crash Victims Curbed by Fog and Terrain" (PDF). The New York Times. New Yor. UPI. June 9, 1971. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
The fuselage of a DC-9 airliner that collided with a Marine Corps jet in flight Sunday was scattered so widely over the San Gabriel Mountains that the bodies of only 29 of the 50 persons killed had been found by today. Fog and terrain again delayed the search by sheriff's deputies and fire department helicopters at the 3,000-foot (910 m) level, and it appeared it would be days if not weeks before all the bodies were recovered.
(subscription required) - ^ a b "Air Crash Linked to Acrobatics" (PDF). The Milwaukee Journal. Milwaukee, WI. Press Dispatches. June 10, 1971. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-01-16.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Airliner Hit Marine Jet, Survivor Says" (PDF). Toledo Blade. Toledo, OH. AP. June 8, 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "10 More Feet – 50 Lives" (PDF). The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. June 17, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ a b "Visual flight rules blamed in air crash" (PDF). Wilmington Morning Star. Wilmington, NC. UPI. June 9, 1971. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ a b "Crash Stirs Rule Probe" (PDF). Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. UPI. June 9, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ^ "Crash clues may be held by recorder" (PDF). Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, OR. UPI. June 11, 1971. p. 4A. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ "Utah relatives of 1971 air disaster pay homage to victims". The Salt Lake Tribune. June 11, 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Marine Plane Rolled Just Before Collision" (PDF). Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. Combined Wire Services. June 10, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ^ "Survivor says jet fighter was 'stunting'" (PDF). The Bryan Times. Bryan, OH. UPI. June 10, 1971. p. 9. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ "Collision Warnings Suggested" (PDF). The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. December 2, 1971. p. 8B. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ a b c d e f Polk, James R. (June 7, 1971). "'See and Be Seen' Rule Stymies Study of Collisions" (PDF). The Altus Times-Democrat. Altus, OK. AP. p. 2. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ^ "Flight Rules That Led to Crash Criticized by Federal Investigator" (PDF). The Lodi News-Sentinel. Lodi, California. UPI. June 9, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "Air Collisions In a Squeeze Of Federalism" (PDF). Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Lawrence, KS. AP. June 7, 1971. p. 6. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ^ "Safety Agencies Fight; Collisions Continue" (PDF). Owosso Argus-Press. Owosso, MI. AP. June 7, 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ a b "Military Craft Due to Fly by Civilian Rules" (PDF). The Portsmouth Times. Portsmouth, OH. AP. June 19, 1971. p. 7. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ Stowell, John (June 21, 1971). "Tighten Rules On Military Plane Flights" (PDF). The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, PA. AP. p. 9. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ "Group asks speed limit on planes flown by eye" (PDF). Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, OR. AP. June 23, 1971. p. 11A. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Lindsay, Robert (January 2, 1972). "Airline Deaths Up in '71 After Two-Year Decline". The New York Times. New York, NY. p. 56. Retrieved 2010-12-10. (subscription required)
- ^ "Airwest makes colorful changes". Deseret News. Oct 27, 1971. p. B-5.
- ^ "Profit seen by Airwest". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 22, 1971. p. 5.
- ^ "Airwest unveils bright new look" (PDF). (Twin Falls, ID) Times-News. November 26, 1971. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ^ "New look is first step in '72 marketing program" (PDF). Hughes Air Corp. (co. newsletter). October 1971. p. 1.
- ^ "Pre-flight Primp: Hughes Airwest Flight Attendant Uniforms". Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ a b c Vincent v. Hughes Air West, Inc., 557 F2d 759, 771 (19th Cir. 1977).
- Cornell University Law School website
- ^ In Re Multidistrict Civil Actions Involving The Aircrash Near Duarte (Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine). US District Court, Central District, California. March 19, 1973. Accessed: 2011-01-19.
- ^ "Mayday all.2s" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
External links
- Photo of the DC-9 crash site[usurped] at Airdisaster.com. Accessed 2011-01-17.