Mohawk Airlines Flight 411
Glen Falls, New York | |
Occupants | 14 |
---|---|
Passengers | 11 |
Crew | 3 |
Fatalities | 14 |
Survivors | 0 |
Mohawk Airlines Flight 411, a
The
History of flight
On the evening of November 19, 1969, at about 20:03 EST, Mohawk Airlines Flight 411, a twin engine
At 20:07:32 EST, just 4 minutes after takeoff, Flight 411 was cleared by air traffic control (ATC) for "a VOR approach to runway 19". The aircraft overflew the Glens Falls airport and proceeded northbound, subsequently reversing course. Shortly after course reversal, at about 20:20 EST, the aircraft hit trees on the northwest slope of the Pilot Knob Mountain, then impacted a rock cliff from which it fell 34 feet (10 m) and became lodged between trees and caught fire. None of the 11 passengers and 3 crew on board survived.[2]
Investigation and final report
The accident was investigated by the
The weather at Glens Falls at the time of the accident was reported as "2,100 (feet) overcast, visibility 7 (miles) in light rain, wind 180 (degrees) at 12 (knots), peak gusts 22 (knots), altimeter 2980, runway 19 in use". The surface temperature was 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius).
The investigation revealed that ATC cleared the flight to "the
Despite this, possibly due to their concerns with passenger comfort (the VOR 1 approach would have required performing the "circle to land" maneuver at a relatively low altitude over the airport to land on runway 19), or possibly by simply being late to set up for the recommended VOR 1 approach (the flight time was only about 8 minutes from takeoff at Albany to the Glens Falls area, with a significant
In their final report, issued on June 25, 1970, the NTSB determined the following official Probable Cause for the accident:[2]
The captain, while conducting an approach, exceeded his clearance limits and, thereafter, flew the aircraft into a severe "lee of the mountain downdraft" at an altitude insufficient for recovery. No evidence was found to explain why this particular approach was attempted.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Aircraft Accident Report: Mohawk Airlines, Inc., Fairchild Hiller FH-227B, N7811M, near Glenn Falls, New York, November 19, 1969" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. June 25, 1970. NTSB-AAR-70-12. Retrieved December 14, 2009. - Copy at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.
- ^ Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on December 14, 2009.
External links
- Airliners.net Photo of accident aircraft N7811M, a year before the accident, July 20, 1968
- Glens Falls Airport on AirNav Database