Date & Time:
Mar 31, 1971 at 0633 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 720
Operator:
Registration:
N3166
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Los Angeles - Ontario
MSN:
19439/621
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
WA366
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total hours on type:
3780
Copilot / Total hours on type:
3840
Aircraft flight hours:
11521
Aircraft flight cycles:
7011
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training flight from Los Angeles to Ontario. The pilot under supervision was supposed to complete an ILS approach with one engine inoperative, to make a missed approach and a go-around procedure. On final to runway 25R, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field. The airplane was totally destroyed and all five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The failure of the aircraft rudder hydraulic actuator support fitting. The failure of the fitting resulted in the inapparent loss of left rudder control which, under the conditions of the flight, precluded the pilots’ ability to maintain directional control during a simulated engine-out missed-approach. The existing weather conditions degraded external visual cues, thereby hampering rapid assessment of aircraft performance by the flight check captain.
Final Report:
N3166.pdf1.54 MB
