1967 — Nov 20, TWA flight 128 night approach crash, poor visibility, Constance, KY– 70

— 70 Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Ohio, 1960-1969.
— 70 AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 11211967.
— 70 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. TWA Flight 128, 20 Nov 1967.
— 70 NationMaster, Encyclopedia, List of Notable Accidents and Incidents Com. Aircraft
— 70 NTSB. Trans World Airlines, Inc. Convair 880, N821TW, Constance, KY, Nov 20, 1967.

Narrative Information

NationMaster.com: “November 20 – TWA Flight 128, a Convair 880 [N821TW], crashes in Constance, Kentucky on approach to Greater Cincinnati Airport, killing 70 out of 82 persons on board….

“TWA Flight 128 was a domestic U.S. Flight enroute from Los Angeles, CA to Boston, MA with scheduled stops at Cincinnati, OH and Pittsburgh, PA. The flight had been cleared for an ILS approach to Runway 18, and had cleared the outer marker. The aircraft struck trees on final approach and crashed 9,357 feet short and 429 feet right of the extended centerline of the runway at Greater Cincinnati Airport (CVG)…. Upon making the approach to a scheduled landing at Greater Cincinnati Airport, the aircraft struck trees at an elevation of 875 feet. The airport, about 2 miles distant was at an elevation of 890 feet. The plane had descended through a cloud layer at night and the published minimum for these conditions was 1,290 feet. The accident site was remotely located in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire…. As a result of the crash, 65 passengers and 5 crew members were fatally injured. Four of the passengers died from injuries in the days following the crash. Two crew members and ten passengers survived….

“…at the time the worst accident involving a Convair 880, and 12th worst airline disaster in the U.S.” (NationMaster.com. Encyclopedia, “TWA Flight 128.”)

NTSB: “Synopsis. A Trans World Airlines, Inc., Convair 880, N821TW, Flight 128, crashed on the final approach to landing on Runway 18

The aircraft first struck trees at an elevation of approximately 875 feet m.s.l., 9,357 feet sort of the approach end of Runway 18 and 429 feet right of the extended runway centerline. After several more impacts with trees and the ground, the aircraft came to rest approximately 6,878 feet from the runway and 442 feet right of the extended runway centerline.

“The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was an attempt by the crew to conduct a night, visual, no-glide-slope approach during deteriorating weather conditions without adequate altimeter cross-reference. The approach was conducted using visual reference to partially lighted irregular terrain which may have been conducive to producing an illusionary sense of adequate terrain clearance.” (NTSB AAR, TWA Convair 880, August 27, 1969, p. 1)

Sources

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Trans World Airlines, Inc. Convair 880, N821TW, Constance, Kentucky, November 20, 1967. Washington, DC: NTSB, August 27, 1969, 58 pages. Accessed 4-9-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=eS-Iti1PEnQC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true