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19970807021309A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Doug DC-8-61 · Miami, FL · August 7, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 7, 1997 · 11:36 local
Place
Miami, FL
Airport
Miami International
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
FXLA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N27UA
NTSB investigation
NTSBDCA97MA059
Reported as
Doug DC861
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney JT3D3B
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
5
Pilot’s flight hours
12,154 total216 in the last 90 days
N27UARegistration cancelled Jan 26, 1998 · Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-61S/N 45942Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas DC-8-61

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft crashed into a field and a highway on takeoff. (.4): on August 7, 1997, at 1236 eastern daylight time, a Douglas DC-8-61, N27UA, operated by fine airlines inc. (fine air) as flight 101, crashed after takeoff from runway 27R at Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida. The three flightcrew members and one security guard on board were killed, and a motorist was killed on the ground. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire. The cargo flight, with a scheduled destination of santo domingo, dominican republic, was conducted on an instrument flight rules flight plan and operated under title 14 code of federal regulations part 121 as a supplemental air carrier. Prior to takeoff, the airplane was misloaded to produce a more aft center of gravity and a correspondingly incorrect stabilizer trim setting. This precipitated an extreme pitch-up at rotation. Because of the incorrect stabilizer trim setting the pilots could not gain adequate control of the airplane before it struck the ground :

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A FIELD AND A HIGHWAY ON TAKEOFF. (.4): ON AUGUST 7, 1997, AT 1236 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A DOUGLAS DC-8-61, N27UA, OPERATED BY FINE AIRLINES INC. (FINE AIR) AS FLIGHT 101, CRASHED AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 27R AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MIAMI, FLORIDA. THE THREE FLIGHTCREW MEMBERS AND ONE SECURITY GUARD ON BOARD WERE KILLED, AND A MOTORIST WAS KILLED ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND A POSTCRASH FIRE. THE CARGO FLIGHT, WITH A SCHEDULED DESTINATION OF SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, WAS CONDUCTED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN AND OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121 AS A SUPPLEMENTAL AIR CARRIER. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS MISLOADED TO PRODUCE A MORE AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY AND A CORRESPONDINGLY INCORRECT STABILIZER TRIM SETTING. THIS PRECIPITATED AN EXTREME PITCH-UP AT ROTATION. BECAUSE OF THE INCORRECT STABILIZER TRIM SETTING THE PILOTS COULD NOT GAIN ADEQUATE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IT STRUCK THE GROUND :

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DCA97MA059Accident · 5 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportMiami, FLThe airplane being misloaded to produce a more aft center of gravity and a correspondingly incorrect stabilizer trim setting that precipitated an extreme pitch-up at rotation, was (1) the failure of Fine Air to exercise operational control over the cargo…Aug 7, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N27UA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19970704029029ILevel Off Touchdown · Miami, FLNarrative: on July 4, 1997, at about 2155 eastern daylight time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-8-61, N27UA, registered to argo air associates, operated by fine airlines, as a title 14 CFR part 121 nonscheduled international cargo flight, found a cracked right main…Jul 4, 1997 · Minor damage