7. His inattention resulted from preoccupation with a landing gear malfunction and preparations for a possible landing emergency. At the beginning of the landing delay, there were about 13,334 lbs of fuel onboard. With thenew system installed, there are eight individual tank quantity gages. Except for the failure of the pistonrod on the right main landing gear retract cylinder assembly and the failure of thelanding gear position indicating system, the aircraft’s airframe, system; structures, andpowerplants were not factors in this accident. 3. The slideat exit 2R also reportedly inflated inside the cabin and blocked the cabin aisle. Although both studies had similar fuel remaining values when the aircraft lost itsengine power, the Safety Board believes that the Douglas’ study more closely approximatesthe fuel burn during the 5,000-ft hold period. It’s showing not very much more fuel.” 1809:16 – Flight Engineer: “We’re down to one on the totalizer. During the wreckage salvage, the eight fuel quantity gages were recovered. Rocky 'Apollo' Jedick is a board-certified Emergency Medicine doctor, Senior Flight Surgeon in the USAFR, FAA Senior Aviation Medical Examiner and owner/editor of Go Flight Medicine LLC. The flightcrew should have been aware that there were 46,700 lbs of fuel aboard theaircraft when it left Denver at 1433 and that there was about 45,650 lbs at takeoff at1447. The runway is equipped with high intensity runway edge lights,centerline lights, and visual approach slope indicator lights. At 1746:52, the first officer asked the flight engineer, “How much fuel wegot…?” The flight engineer responded, “Five thousand.” The first officeracknowledged the response. The smallest incrementof change that can be indicated on the individual tank gages is 1,000 lbs. @ViperDemoTeam @usairforce. The quality ofthe recording was good. The first officer advised Portland Approach that he had the aircraft in sight. All of the passengers who were killed had been located on the right side of thecabin. The fuselage, from about the fifth row of passenger seats forward, sustained severe,extensive impact damage in a generally rearward direction. Other evidence that thecaptain had failed to assess the effect of continued holding on fuel state was provided byhis stated intentions to land about 1805 with.4,000 lbs of fuel on board. Analyses were prepared forthree different assumptions. Avoid landing, if possible, until emergency equipment and crews are standing by. 1.17.6 Dispatcher Responsibility and Authority. (7) Left Main Landing Gear Down-Lock Switch. Both main landing gear were fully extended but were torn from their mountingstructures. There was46,700 lbs of fuel on board the aircraft when it departed the gate at Denver. Make an announcement to the passengers as appropriate. On December 28, 1978, United Airlines, Inc., Flight 173, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-61(N8082U), was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, toPortland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, with an en route stop at Denver,Colorado. 8. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the other two flight crewmembers eitherto fully comprehend the criticality of the fuel state or to successfully communicate theirconcern to the captain. All tanks at empty, +/- 150 pounds. On these individual tankgages, the digital reading is multiplied by 100 to obtain the total amount of fuel in thetank. The totalizer gage receives input from each individual tank gage and displays the totalfuel available on three digital readouts. Actually, the actionhe described was that of a gage changing from 100 lbs to zero lbs. Under the provisions of United Airlines Flight Operations Manual, the flight dispatcherresponsibility after the aircraft is airborne is limited to computation of fuel estimateunder only two conditions – when contact is not established within 20 min and during ahijacking. In the initial interviewwith the captain, he stated that he felt the cabin preparation could be completed in from10 to 15 min and that the “tail end of it” could be accomplished on the finalapproach to the airport. The “jetescape” doors were hinged at the bottom and were designed to swing down and outwardwhen opened. United Airlines Flight 173, Portland, OR. The slide at exit 4R reportedly inflated inside the cabin when the door was opened by apassenger. Evidence indicates that the fuel quantity indicating system accurately indicated fuel quantity to the crew. Speed – Long range cruise speed. Regardless of whether they were aware of the actual fuel quantities, they certainlyshould have been aware that the initial fuel load was predicated on fuel consumption forthe planned 2 hr 26 min en route flight, plus a reserve which includes sufficient fuel for45 min at normal cruise and a contingency margin of about 20 min additional flight. b. From about 1744:30 until about 1745:23, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) containedconversation between the captain and the first flight attendant concerning passengerpreparation, crash landing procedures, and evacuation procedures. At 1813:21, the flight engineer stated, “We’ve lost two engines, guys.” At1813:25, he stated, “We just lost two engines – one and two.”, At 1813:38, the captain said, “They’re all going. It was noticeably different and we got the nose gear greenlight but no other lights.” The captain also said the first officer remarked that theaircraft “yawed to the right….” Flight attendant and passenger statementsalso indicate that there was a loud noise and a severe jolt when the landing gear waslowered. There was some mechanical damage. AU units were damaged and repairs were attempted on each. At 1714:43, Portland Approach advised, “United one seventy three heavy, turn leftheading, one zero zero and I’ll just orbit you out there ’til you get your problem.”Flight 173 acknowledged the instructions. FAA Charts Additional Space Launch Activity Areas, New Taxes, Like Canada’s Luxury Tax, Have A Way Of Spreading, Encore: Kyle Franklin’s Super Cub Comedy Act, EAA’s Young Eagle Day Event To Relaunch On June 12, Dick Rutan To Receive Howard Hughes Memorial Award, Organizations Ask FAA To Clarify Flight Training Rules, No Injuries Reported In SR-22, Metroliner Midair (Updated), ICAO Updates Effort To Clean Up NOTAM ‘Garbage’, Canada Moves Forward On Aircraft ‘Luxury’ Tax, EU Summit Promotes Future Use Of SAF For Business Aviation, Boeing Spotlights Its Optimism For Aviation-Industry Financials, Avionics Sales Report Shows Continued Increases In Revenue, New ForeFlight Release Cited As A Big Step Forward, Webinar To Address Ambiguity Of Using GPS On ‘Conventional’ Procedures, Garmin Launches Updated TXi eLearning Course. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness at latitude 45031’21″Nand longitude 122029’59″W. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the other two flight crewmembers either to fully comprehend the criticality of the fuel state or to successfully communicate their concern to the captain.”. The outboard wing section, which included theNo. 10. The 10 occupants killed in the crash werelocated between the flight engineer’s station in the cockpit and row 5 in the passengercabin. The first officer’s main responsibility is to monitor the captain. Later, shop tests verified that the circuit breaker was open. The figures below illustrate the aircraft’s approximate takeoff gross weight,approximate landing weight, and the approximate pounds of fuel remaining upon arrival inthe vicinity of the Portland International Airport; these figures are based on normaloperations. About 6 min before all engines stopped, thecaptain stated that there was 1,000 lbs of fuel in the No. The lower left side of the fuselage, between the fourth and sixth rows of passengerseats and below window level, had been torn away. What should have been a routine flight from Denver, CO to Portland, OR went tragically wrong when a relatively minor mechanical problem lead to a loss of situational awareness that caused a much larger, and insurmountable problem. However, thoseintracockpit comments and radio transmissions in which fuel quantity was mentionedindicate that the fuel-quantity indicating system was accurate. Evidence indicates that their scanof the instruments probably narrowed as their thinking fixed on the gear. The second officer checked the visualindicators on top of both wings, which extend above the wing surface when the landing gearis down-and-locked. Take three thousands pound, two hundred and four.” At this time theaircraft was about 18 nmi south of the airport in a turn to the northeast. 10T E 538932 N 5041111. The most seriously injured passengers were seated in the right forward portion of thecabin near an area of the fuselage which appeared to have been penetrated by a large tree.These persons were seated near those passengers who were injured fatally. Two passengerssustained fractures and others sustained lacerations and abrasions when they either fellfrom exits or as they climbed through debris outside the aircraft in order to reach theground. Book cheap flights to Greenbrier (LWB) with United Airlines. The Safety Board believes that Flight 173 could have landed safelywithin 30 to 40 min after the landing gear malfunction. The gear problem had a disorganizing effect on the captain’s performance. 13. Copyright © 2021 GO FLIGHT MEDICINE. Now she’s coming.” 1807:52 – Captain: “Okay, watch one and two. At 1705:47, Flight 173 called Portland Approach and advised that its altitude was10,000 ft 3/ and its airspeed was being reduced. The aviation industry has emerged to be one of the more efficient and safest way to travel across the world. United Airlines Flight 173 crashed in a wooded area, southeast of PDX. United Airlines Flight 173 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon, with a scheduled stop in Denver, Colorado. 10. Here is the summary abstract from the official NTSB report: “About 1815 Pacific standard time on December 28, 1978, United Airlines, Inc., Flight 173 crashed into a wooded, populated area of suburban Portland, Oregon, during an approach to the Portland International Airport. The nose landing gear was fullyextended and remained attached to the nose tunnel structure. While there is evidence to indicate that thecrew was aware of the amount of fuel remaining at various times, there is no evidence thatthe onboard quantity was monitored in relation to time remaining during the final 30 minof flight. At 1751:35, the captain instructed the flight engineer to contact the companyrepresentative at Portland and apprise him of the situation and tell him that Flight 173would land with about 4,000 lbs of fuel. Exciting stuff! Seat backs upright and tables stowed. On the evening of December 28, 1978 United flight 173 crashed into a wooded area near Portland International Airport. The captain was deposed at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Rocky MountainRegional Headquarters in Denver, Colorado, on March 6,1979. For the next 23 min, while Portland Approach was vectoring the aircraft in a holdingpattern south and east of the airport, the flightcrew discussed and accomplished all ofthe emergency and precautionary actions available to them to assure themselves that alllanding gear was locked in the full down position. No discrepancies or out-of-tolerance conditions werefound. 6. Although the purpose of the main landing gear retract cylinder assembly is to raise thelanding gear during the refract cycle, the hydraulic action of the cylinder acts as abuffer during the extend cycle to moderate the rate of extension and prohibit the landinggear from free falling to the down-and-locked position. 1.13 Medical and Pathological Information. The No. The Safety Board believes that this accident exemplifies a recurring problem – abreakdown in cockpit management and teamwork during a situation involving malfunctions ofaircraft systems in flight. On December 28, 1978, United Airlines, Inc., Flight 173, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-61(N8082U), was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, toPortland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, with an en route stop at Denver,Colorado. You got to.” Flight Engineer: “Five thousand in there…but we lost it.” Captain: “Alright.” 1807:38 – Flight Engineer: “Are you getting it back?” 1807:40 – First Officer: “No number four. Therecorder was removed from the aircraft and the entire tape was transcribed. N 45° 31.347 W 122° 30.089. Time to say goodbye. Watch #SpaceToGround for details: http://youtu.be/5o-h9gx8U3Y. At 1807:06, the first officersaid, “It’s flamed out”. At 1813:46, the captain told the first officer, “Okay. 32-131, DC-8 SC 1681,Landing Gear Extension and Retraction -Replace Main Landing Gear Retract Rod Assemblies.This bulletin provided information on the replacement of the retract cylinder rod endassemblies with machined threads with rod end assemblies with rolled-type threads. 7 June 1979. At 1755:04, the flight engineer reported the “…approach descent check iscomplete.” At 1756:53, the first officer asked, “How much fuel you gotnow?” The flight engineer responded that 4,000 lbs remained, 1,000 lbs in each tank. The No. When the spring and switch case damages were matched, one end of the spring fit into the distorted portion of the case. I've noticed an almost allergic reaction to very idea of electric airplanes. On March 27, 1968, McDonnell-Douglas issued Service Bulletin No. 4. Inspection of the right main landinggear retraction mechanism showed corrosion in the threads of an attachment eyebolt. The cockpit floorstructure, which included portions of the crew seats, sections of the instrument panel,and the nose tunnel structure with the nose gear assembly partially attached, hadseparated and rotated to the right and aft. This unit did not meet resistance tolerance specification when wet. During his initialinterview, the captain indicated that he neither designated a time limit to the flightattendant, nor asked her how long it would take to prepare the cabin. See if we get gear lights.” The flight engineer complied withthe request. The dispatcher then checked with the captain to ascertain a specifictime for the landing and the captain agreed that 1805 was “a good ballpark.” Thedispatcher, according to his interview after the accident, then relayed this landing timeand the aircraft’s status to the company personnel in Portland. Atseveral points along the fuselage, windows were smashed and the fuselage had been dentedby large trees and separated portions of the main landing gear. 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