Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 30 May 1972
Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-9-14
Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines
Registration Number: N3305L
Location: Fort Worth-Greater Southwest Airport, TX (GSW) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: The right wing of the American Airlines DC-10.The right wing of the American Airlines DC-10.
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
An American Airlines DC-10 experienced a critical incident during a training flight when a Delta DC-9 approached runway 13. The DC-9 unexpectedly rolled, causing the right wing to strike the runway and result in a crash.An American Airlines DC-10 experienced a critical incident during a training flight when a Delta DC-9 approached runway 13. The DC-9 unexpectedly rolled, causing the right wing to strike the runway and result in a crash.

Description

An American Airlines DC-10 on a training flight had just performed a touch-and-go when the Delta DC-9 approached runway 13. The DC-9 suddenly began to roll when passing the runway threshold. The right wing struck the runway and the aircraft crashed in flames. PROBABLE CAUSE: “An encounter with a trailing vortex generated by a preceding “heavy” jet which resulted in an involuntary loss of control of the airplane during final approach. Although cautioned to expect turbulence the crew did not have sufficient information to evaluate accurately the hazard or the possible location of the vortex. Existing FAA procedures for controlling VFR flight did not provide the same protection from a vortex encounter as was provided to flights being given radar vectors in either IFR or VFR conditions.”

Primary Cause

An encounter with a trailing vortex generated by a preceding heavy jet resulted in an involuntary loss of control of the airplane during final approach.An encounter with a trailing vortex generated by a preceding heavy jet resulted in an involuntary loss of control of the airplane during final approach.

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