Douglas DC-9

An Allegheny Airlines DC-9 and a Forth Corporation Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee registered N7374J collided in flight approximately 4 miles northwest of Fairland, Indiana, at approximately 1529 e.d.t., September 9, 1969. All 83 occupants, 78 passengers and four crew members, aboard the DC-9 and the pilot of the PA-28 were fatally injured. Both aircraft were destroyed by the collision and ground impact. Allegheny flight AL853 was wider positive radar control of the Federal Aviation Administration's Indianapolis Approach Control, descending from 6,000 feet to an assigned altitude of 2,530 feet at the time of the collision. N7374J has being flown by a student pilot on a solo cross-country flight in accordance with a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan. The collision occurred at an altitude of approximately 3,550 feet. The visibility in the area was at least 15 miles, but there was an intervening cloud condition wbich precluded the crew of either aircraft from sighting the other until a few seconds prior to collision.

After takeoff from runway 04L at Maracaibo-Grano de Oro Airport, while in initial climb at an altitude of 150 feet, the airplane struck power cables. It lost speed and height then crashed in a huge explosion into the district of La Trinidad located near the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 84 occupants were killed as well as 71 people on the ground. More than 20 buildings were destroyed and more than 100 people were injured, some of them seriously.

At approximately 0711LT, the aircraft crashed while taking off from the Sioux City Airport, Iowa. There were no fatalities. Among the 64 passengers and four crewmembers, 10 passengers were hospitalized with minor injuries and three crew members received serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash. There was no fire. Flight 982 began its takeoff on Runway 35 with the flight crew aware that ice was present on the wings. The aircraft lifted off and the landing gear was selected to the up position by the first officer. The captain began turning off the landing and taxi lights. As the landing gear began to retract, the aircraft rolled abruptly and violently to the right to an angle of bank estimated by the flight crew to have reached 900. The captain applied additional power and left rudder in an attempt to level the wings. When no immediate response was noted, he then applied left aileron. With the application of left aileron, the right wing came up; however, the roll continued to the left until the left wing contacted the runway. At this point, the captain discontinued the takeoff. He approximately 110 feet beyond the departure threshold of Runway 35. succeeded in leveling the wings prior to final ground contact, The aircraft came to rest in a grove of trees approximately 1,181 feet beyond the departure end of Runway 35.

Flight 553 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from New York to Chicago, Illinois, with en-route stops at Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Dayton, Ohio. The flight departed Pittsburgh for Dayton at 1125 hours Eastern Standard Time on an IFR flight plan and was operated under radar surveillance for the duration of the flight. As the flight approached the Dayton terminal area it was cleared to descend from FL 200, its cruising altitude, to 5 000 ft, and a transfer of radar control from Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Centre (ARTCC) to the Dayton Radar Approach Control facility (RAPCON) was made when the flight was approximately 8 miles northeast of the Urbana Intersection on Victor Airway 12 North. The Dayton RAPCON approach controller established radio contact with the flight at 1152:36 hours. The flight was again cleared to 5 000 ft, instructed to take a heading of 240° for a vector to the final approach course (ILS) and to report leaving 6 000 ft. At 1153:22 hours, the controller cleared the flight to descend to and maintain 3 000 ft and turn left to a heading of 230'. This was correctly acknowledged by the pilot- in-command at 1153:28 hours. Immediately after the issuance of this clearance the controller observed for the first time an unidentified radar target ahead and slightly to the right of the flight and issued at 1153:32 hours the following traffic advisory: "TWA five fifty three, roger, and traffic at twelve thirty, one mile, southbound, slow moving." This was acknowledged by the pilot-in-command at 1153:36 hours. Approximately 14 seconds later, the flight and the unidentified radar target merged, separated, changed shape on the radar screen and then disappeared. At 1154:02 hours the controller advised the flight that it was clear of traffic but no reply was received. Subsequent efforts to establish contact with the flight were unsuccessful. The unidentified radar return was from a Beechcraft Baron B-55 on a company business flight, en route from Detroit, Michigan, to Springfield, Ohio. The aircraft had departed Detroit City Airport at 1101 hours on a special VFR clearance to leave the control zone 5 miles from the airport. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required. Approximately two minutes after take-off, the pilot reported on top of the smoke and haze and then left the Detroit tower frequency. No record of any further communication with any FAA communication facility or air traffic control facility could be found that related to the Beechcraft, nor was such communication required. The operator of Springfield Aviation Inc., at the Springfield Airport, testified that at approximately 1154 hours the pilot of the Beechcraft established radio contact with his office and requested a courtesy car. During this conversation the pilot stated that he would be landing shortly. There was no record of any subsequent radio contact with the aircraft. The aircraft collided at 1153:50 hours, in bright daylight, approximately 25 NM northeast of the Dayton Municipal Airport at an altitude of about 4 525 ft AMSL, and both aircraft crashed. The wreckage of the DC-9 was found in a wooded area. All 26 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

West Coast Flight 956 departed San Francisco (SFO) at 18:44 for a flight to Eugene (EUG), Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA). The brand new DC-9 aircraft, which had been delivered to West Coast Airlines just 2 weeks earlier, arrived at Eugene at 19:34 and took off again 18 minutes later. At 20:04 the crew were cleared to descend from the cruising altitude of FL140 to 9000 feet. While turning to heading 300°, the aircraft descended below the clearance altitude and impacted the wooded eastern slope of Salmon Mountain at the 3830 feet level. The aircraft attitude was 30° right bank, in a 3-4° climbing flight path on a heading of 265°. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed.