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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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July 9, 1982 · Boeing 727-235 · N4737

New Orleans, LA

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 9, 1982
Injury Outcomes
145 injuries (145 fatalities), 17 unknown outcomes
Location
New Orleans, LA
Aircraft
Boeing 727-235
Tail Number
N4737
Operator
Pan American World A/W
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
DCA82AA028

The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-83-02. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm THE ACFT, PAN AM FLT 759, WAS ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM MIAMI, FL TO LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH AN EN ROUTE STOP AT NEW ORLEANS, LA. WITH AN ACFT GROSS WT OF APRX 170,000 LBS, THE CAPT WAS REQUIRED TO USE RWY 10 FOR TKOF. VIP LVL 3 WX ECHOS WERE LOCATED EAST OF THE RWY, BUT NO LIGHTNING OR THUNDER WAS EVIDENT. THERE WERE SHOWERS OVR THE EAST END OF THE RWY & THE WNDS WERE GSTY, VARIABLE & SWIRLING. AFTR TAKOF, THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APRX 95 TO 150 AGL, THEN BGN TO DESCEND. THE ACFT STRUCK TREES APRX 2376 FT BYD THE DEP END OF THE RWY, ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THEN CONTD ANOTHER 2234 FT, HITTING TREES & HOUSES. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT, EXPLOSION & FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD ENCTRD A DECREASING HDWND SHEAR CAUSED BY DIVERGING FLOW FROM A MICROBURST WHICH OCCURRED ON THE ARPT. THE WND SHEAR WAS NOT DETECTED BY THE LOW LVL WND SHEAR ALERT SYS TIL AFTER FLT 759 BGN ITS TKOF.

Full Narrative

The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-83-02. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm THE ACFT, PAN AM FLT 759, WAS ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM MIAMI, FL TO LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH AN EN ROUTE STOP AT NEW ORLEANS, LA. WITH AN ACFT GROSS WT OF APRX 170,000 LBS, THE CAPT WAS REQUIRED TO USE RWY 10 FOR TKOF. VIP LVL 3 WX ECHOS WERE LOCATED EAST OF THE RWY, BUT NO LIGHTNING OR THUNDER WAS EVIDENT. THERE WERE SHOWERS OVR THE EAST END OF THE RWY & THE WNDS WERE GSTY, VARIABLE & SWIRLING. AFTR TAKOF, THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APRX 95 TO 150 AGL, THEN BGN TO DESCEND. THE ACFT STRUCK TREES APRX 2376 FT BYD THE DEP END OF THE RWY, ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THEN CONTD ANOTHER 2234 FT, HITTING TREES & HOUSES. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT, EXPLOSION & FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD ENCTRD A DECREASING HDWND SHEAR CAUSED BY DIVERGING FLOW FROM A MICROBURST WHICH OCCURRED ON THE ARPT. THE WND SHEAR WAS NOT DETECTED BY THE LOW LVL WND SHEAR ALERT SYS TIL AFTER FLT 759 BGN ITS TKOF.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time16:09 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway10
Runway Length9227 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionGrd

Aircraft

AircraftBoeing 727-235
Tail NumberN4737
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
OperatorPan American World A/W
Operating RulePart 121
Engines3
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsP & W · JT8D-7B · Turbofan · 14000
Seats145

People & Injuries

Injury Summary145 injuries (145 fatalities), 17 unknown outcomes
Fatal145
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total162
Crew 1Age 45 · First Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind70° @ 14 kt
Visibility2 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 4100 ft
Temperature / Dew Point18 C / 32 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg

Appendix: Source Data