1969 — Jan 6, Allegheny Air Flight 737 too-low approach crash, near Bradford, PA — 11

–11 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Allegheny Air Flight 737, 06 Jan 1969.
–11 Kimura. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Ed., 1946-1993, V.1. 4-11-1994, p. 3-13.
–11 NTSB AAR. Allegheny Airlines… N5825, Near Bradford, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1969.

National Transportation Safety Board Synopsis:

“About 2035 on January 6, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, an Allison Prop Jet Convair 440, N5825, crashed on a golf course about 4.7 nautical miles northwest of the Bradford, Pennsylvania, Regional Airport. The accident occurred while the flight was making an instrument landing approach to the airport. Of the 28 persons aboard the aircraft, 11, including the two pilots, received fatal injuries.

“Investigation revealed the aircraft initially struck the top branches of a tree about 79 feet in height, at a terrain elevation of 2,175 feet m.s.l In a descending flightpath, the aircraft cut a swath through trees bordering a fairway of the Fine Acres Golf Course. The main portion of the aircraft struck the ground along the side of the fairway about 1,000 feet beyond the tree of initial contact, and came to rest inverted about 400 feet beyond the point of initial ground impact.

“At the time of the accident, weather conditions at the Bradford Regional Airport were reported as: partial obscuration, measured 800 feet, overcast; visibility 101/2 miles, light snow showers; temperature 20 [degrees] F., dew point 17 [degrees] F., wind 170 [degrees] at 10 knots; altimeter setting 29.47 inches.

“The Safety Board is unable to determine precisely the probable cause of this accident. Of some 13 potential causes examined by the Board, three remain after final analysis. They are: (1) misreading of the altimeter by the captain, (2) a malfunction of the captain’s altimeter after completion of the instrument approach procedure turn, and (3) a misreading of the instrument approach chart. Of these three, no single one can be accepted or rejected to the exclusion of another based on the available evidence.

History of the Flight

“Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, of January 6, 1969, was a scheduled passenger flight from Washington, D.C., to Detroit, Michigan, with en route stops at Harrisburg, Bradford, and Erie, Pennsylvania….

“Several passenger survivors indicated an awareness of the aircraft’s striking the ground and, while it slid along the ground, rolling to an inverted position. Seven stated that after the aircraft stopped, they were held upside down in their seats by their seat belts….

“This was an accident in which 17 of the 28 persons aboard the aircraft survived. Twelve of the survivors were seated behind seat row 7. Of these, seven were seated on the left side of the cabin, four on the right side, and the hostess was standing at the rear of the cabin. The other five survivors were seated ahead of seat row 7 on the right side of the cabin. The survivors ahead of row 7 were injured more seriously than those behind seat row 7. The left side of the cabin ahead of row 7 was considered a probable nonsurvivable area. The pilots’ compartment was a nonsurvivable area. The survivability of the rear portion of the cabin was because the aircraft struck the ground partially or completely inverted and, relative to the surface, in a nose-low attitude. This resulted in the greatest impact forces being sustained and absorbed by the pilots’ compartment and the forward portion of the passenger cabin….” (NTSB Allegheny Airlines…Near Bradford, Pennsylvania, Jan 6, 1969.)

Aviation Safety Network: “The flight was uneventful until it arrived in the Bradford area, about 20:22. About 20:23, Erie Approach Control asked flight 737 to report their distance to the airport: “Allegheny seven thirty seven, what are you showing DME from Bradford?”. Upon which the crew replied, “Fifteen”. Erie Approach Control then instructed, “… descend and cruise four thousand via Victor thirty three and cleared for the VOR thirty two (Runway 32) approach to the Bradford Airport, report leaving six and Bradford’s current weather sky partially obscured, measured ceiling eight hundred overcast, visibility one and one half and light snow showers, wind one seventy degrees at ten (knots) Bradford altimeter twenty nine point four nine.” At ten miles from the airport Flight 737 asked for clearance to make its instrument approach to Runway 14 instead of Runway 32. The Bradford FSS Specialist obtained approval for this change from Erie Approach Control and so advised the flight. At 20:31 the flight reported completing the procedure turn inbound. The Convair clipped treetops 4.7 n.m. short of the airport and cut a swath through trees bordering a fairway of the Pine Acres Golf Course. The aircraft came to rest inverted….” (ASN. Allegheny Air Flight 737, 06 Jan 1969; cites: NTSB/AAR-70-10, May 37, 1970.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, 06 Jan 1969. Accessed 3/2/2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690106-0

Kimura, Chris Y. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Edition, 1946-1993, Volume 1: Jet and Turboprop Aircrafts. Livermore, CA: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Risk Assessment and Nuclear Engineering Group. 4-11-1994.

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Allegheny Airlines, Inc. Convair 530, N5802, Near the Bradford Regional Airport, December 24, 1968 (NTSB-AAR-70-4; File No. 1-0033). Washington, DC: NTSB, Adopted January 28, 1970, 49 pages. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR70-04.pdf