TWA Flight 553
Encyclopedia
Flight 553, registration N1063T, was a McDonnell Douglas
DC-9-15
jet airliner operated by Trans World Airlines
en route from Pittsburgh
to Dayton
that collided in mid-air
with a Beechcraft Baron
(a small general aviation
airplane) near Urbana, Ohio
on March 9, 1967. All 25 people on board the DC-9 were killed, as was the pilot of the Beechcraft, its sole occupant.
Flight 553 departed from Greater Pittsburgh Airport
en route to Dayton Municipal Airport
. After passing Columbus, Ohio
, Flight 553 had been cleared to descend from Flight Level
(FL) 200 (about 20000 feet (6,096 m) above sea level
) to 3000 feet (914.4 m). As it descended through 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) in uncontrolled airspace
it collided with a Beechcraft Baron 55 that was not in contact with air traffic control
. After the collision both aircraft fell to earth in Concord Township
, a rural area northwest of the city of Urbana in Champaign County
.
Visual flight rules
(VFR) were in effect at the time of the accident, meaning it was the responsibility of the pilots on both aircraft to "see and avoid" each other. The National Transportation Safety Board
investigated the accident and determined that, due to the high rate of descent of the DC-9, its pilots were not able to see the other plane in time to avoid a collision. Weather conditions included widely scattered thin clouds, with haze reducing visibility to 6 to 7 mi (9.7 to 11.3 km), twice the 3 miles (5 km) visibility required for VFR flight.
After this accident all aircraft operating below 10000 feet (3,048 m) were required to maintain speeds below 250 knots (136.1 m/s) IAS. It also contributed to the Federal Aviation Administration
's decision to create Terminal Control Area
s or TCAs (now called Class B airspace) around the busiest airports in the country. The airspace around Dayton did not become a TCA, undergoing only minor changes until it was reclassified as Class C airspace in the late 1980s.
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
DC-9-15
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
jet airliner operated by Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
en route from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
to Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
that collided in mid-air
Mid-air collision
A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually...
with a Beechcraft Baron
Beechcraft Baron
|-See also:- Further reading :*Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK:Airlife Publishing, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.*Taylor, John W. R....
(a small general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airplane) near Urbana, Ohio
Urbana, Ohio
Urbana is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Ohio, United States, west of Columbus. Urbana was laid out in 1805, and for a time in 1812 was the headquarters of the Northwestern army. Urbana was named after the town of Urbanna, Virginia. It is the burial-place of the Indian fighter...
on March 9, 1967. All 25 people on board the DC-9 were killed, as was the pilot of the Beechcraft, its sole occupant.
Flight 553 departed from Greater Pittsburgh Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
en route to Dayton Municipal Airport
Dayton International Airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport , also referred to as simply Dayton International Airport, is a public airport located nine miles north of the central business district of Dayton, a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The airport is situated in Vandalia and it is owned and...
. After passing Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Flight 553 had been cleared to descend from Flight Level
Flight level
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
(FL) 200 (about 20000 feet (6,096 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
) to 3000 feet (914.4 m). As it descended through 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) in uncontrolled airspace
Uncontrolled airspace
Uncontrolled airspace is airspace where an Air Traffic Control service is not deemed necessary or cannot be provided for practical reasons. According to the airspace classes set by ICAO both class F and class G airspace are uncontrolled...
it collided with a Beechcraft Baron 55 that was not in contact with 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...
. After the collision both aircraft fell to earth in Concord Township
Concord Township, Champaign County, Ohio
Concord Township is one of the twelve townships of Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,408 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Harrison Township - north...
, a rural area northwest of the city of Urbana in Champaign County
Champaign County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,890 people, 14,952 households, and 10,870 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 15,890 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
.
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
(VFR) were in effect at the time of the accident, meaning it was the responsibility of the pilots on both aircraft to "see and avoid" each other. The National Transportation Safety Board
National 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...
investigated the accident and determined that, due to the high rate of descent of the DC-9, its pilots were not able to see the other plane in time to avoid a collision. Weather conditions included widely scattered thin clouds, with haze reducing visibility to 6 to 7 mi (9.7 to 11.3 km), twice the 3 miles (5 km) visibility required for VFR flight.
After this accident all aircraft operating below 10000 feet (3,048 m) were required to maintain speeds below 250 knots (136.1 m/s) IAS. It also contributed to the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
's decision to create Terminal Control Area
Terminal Control Area
A terminal control area , also known as a terminal manoeuvring area in Europe, is an aviation term to describe a designated area of controlled airspace surrounding a major airport where there is a high volume of traffic...
s or TCAs (now called Class B airspace) around the busiest airports in the country. The airspace around Dayton did not become a TCA, undergoing only minor changes until it was reclassified as Class C airspace in the late 1980s.
External links
- Airliners.net Flight 553 preparing for departure in a photo by Bob Garrard, 1967
- National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe 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...
Report AAR68 on the crash