GP Express Flight 861
Encyclopedia
GP Express Airlines
Flight 861, from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia
to Anniston Metropolitan Airport
in Anniston, Alabama
, crashed while attempting to land at approximately 8:04 a.m. CDT on June 8, 1992. The Beechcraft Model 99
had four passengers and a crew of two on board. There were three survivors. Two passengers and the captain received fatal injuries.
with an intermediate stop in Anniston. The flight was operated as a Department of Transportation
Essential Air Service
(EAS) flight. In Atlanta, four passengers and six bags were loaded on the fifteen passenger aircraft for the flight. During the flight, intercom problems created difficulty in communication between the crew, additionally the crew encountered problems with a battery and autofeather system. As the flight approached Anniston, confusion developed in the cockpit regarding the aircraft’s position and correct course to Anniston. While a visual approach was considered, visual conditions necessitated an instrument landing system
approach to Runway 5 at Anniston. The crew experienced difficulty establishing the glideslope to Runway 5 and discussed minimum decision heights and missed approach procedures immediately before the aircraft impacted a heavily wooded ridge approximately 7.5 miles north of the Anniston airport in conditions of fog and low-lying clouds. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-accident fire.
Following the crash on Stanley Hill approximately 150 yards inside the southeast boundary of Fort McClellan
, the survivors exited the airplane as a fire developed. Survivor Sgt. Dennis Lachut of Fort Lewis, WA, limped three miles from the crash site through steep wooded terrain and was taken to a nearby residence by the driver of a passing pickup truck. The Anniston airport manager was notified by GP Express that the plane did not arrive and could not be reached approximately 11 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, however this information was not shared with local search and rescue authorities. A search was not started until Sgt. Lachut directed rescuers toward the crash site around noon. Rescuers arrived on foot about 2:15 p.m. and evacuated the remaining survivors by four wheel drive vehicle to Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston. Heavy rains at the time made travel difficult, obscured visibility, and also quickly knocked down the post-accident fire, the smoke of which may have alerted authorities to the crash and approximate location more quickly.
(NTSB) were released on March 2, 1993. Ultimately the investigation determined that the crew lost situational awareness, and though unsure of the air traffic control
services being provided or their position, began an approach to Runway 5 from an excessive altitude and airspeed without completing the published approach procedures. Though critical of the performance of the flight crew, the report ultimately concluded that the probable cause was
GP Express Airlines
GP Express Airlines was a regional airline with its headquarters in Grand Island, Nebraska The parent corporation of the airline began on-demand air charter operations in December 1975...
Flight 861, from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
to Anniston Metropolitan Airport
Anniston Metropolitan Airport
Anniston Metropolitan Airport is a public airport located five miles southwest of the central business district of Anniston, a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States...
in Anniston, Alabama
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, crashed while attempting to land at approximately 8:04 a.m. CDT on June 8, 1992. The Beechcraft Model 99
Beechcraft Model 99
|-See also:-External links:*...
had four passengers and a crew of two on board. There were three survivors. Two passengers and the captain received fatal injuries.
Accident
GP Express Flight 861 was to operate from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
with an intermediate stop in Anniston. The flight was operated as a Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation is the most common name for a government agency in North America devoted to transportation. The largest is the United States Department of Transportation, which oversees interstate travel. All U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and many local agencies also have...
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
(EAS) flight. In Atlanta, four passengers and six bags were loaded on the fifteen passenger aircraft for the flight. During the flight, intercom problems created difficulty in communication between the crew, additionally the crew encountered problems with a battery and autofeather system. As the flight approached Anniston, confusion developed in the cockpit regarding the aircraft’s position and correct course to Anniston. While a visual approach was considered, visual conditions necessitated an instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
approach to Runway 5 at Anniston. The crew experienced difficulty establishing the glideslope to Runway 5 and discussed minimum decision heights and missed approach procedures immediately before the aircraft impacted a heavily wooded ridge approximately 7.5 miles north of the Anniston airport in conditions of fog and low-lying clouds. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-accident fire.
Following the crash on Stanley Hill approximately 150 yards inside the southeast boundary of Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, was a United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million troops...
, the survivors exited the airplane as a fire developed. Survivor Sgt. Dennis Lachut of Fort Lewis, WA, limped three miles from the crash site through steep wooded terrain and was taken to a nearby residence by the driver of a passing pickup truck. The Anniston airport manager was notified by GP Express that the plane did not arrive and could not be reached approximately 11 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, however this information was not shared with local search and rescue authorities. A search was not started until Sgt. Lachut directed rescuers toward the crash site around noon. Rescuers arrived on foot about 2:15 p.m. and evacuated the remaining survivors by four wheel drive vehicle to Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston. Heavy rains at the time made travel difficult, obscured visibility, and also quickly knocked down the post-accident fire, the smoke of which may have alerted authorities to the crash and approximate location more quickly.
Investigation
The findings of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) were released on March 2, 1993. Ultimately the investigation determined that the crew lost situational awareness, and though unsure of the air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
services being provided or their position, began an approach to Runway 5 from an excessive altitude and airspeed without completing the published approach procedures. Though critical of the performance of the flight crew, the report ultimately concluded that the probable cause was
the failure of senior management of GP Express to provide adequate training and operational support for the startup of the southern operation, which resulted in the assignment of an inadequately prepared captain with a relatively inexperienced first officer in revenue passenger service and the failure of the flight crew to use approved instrument flight procedures, which resulted in a loss of situational awareness and terrain clearance. Contributing to the cause of the accident was GP Express’ failure to provide approach charts to each pilot and to establish stabilized approach criteria. Also contributing were the inadequate crew coordination and a role reversal on the part of the captain and first officer.