# NTSB CHI02LA170: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N140NJ, Kansas City, MO, June 17, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 16, 2002, 20:30 local (Jun 17, 2002, 01:30 UTC) - Place: Kansas City, MO - Coordinates: 39.297779, -94.71389 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2978&lon=-94.7139&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 123 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Boeing Commercial Aircraft, Federal Aviation Adminstration, Vanguard Airlines - NTSB case key (mKey): 55006 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI02LA170 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55006/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55006 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02LA170 ## Probable cause The inadequate flare by the flying pilot and the remedial action not performed by the company check airman. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - remedial action - not performed, check pilot (cause) ## Analysis The airplane was discovered with substantial damage to its tailskid and adjacent structure during a postflight maintenance inspection. The flight served as captain initial operating experience for the first officer who was seated in the left seat. The captain and company check airman for the flight was seated in the right seat. A jump seat rider seated in the forward cabin stated that the airplane appeared to level off and start a flare a little high. A correction was then made to reduce the pitch attitude to continue the descent. There appeared to be a high sink rate, an additional pitch change was made resulting in a firm landing. ## Factual narrative On June 16, 2002, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N140NJ, operated by Vanguard Airlines as flight 313, was discovered to have substantial damage to its tailskid and adjacent structure during a postflight maintenance inspection. Flight 313 arrived at 2030 central daylight time and landed on runway 01L (10,801 feet by 150 feet, grooved concrete) at the Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of landing. The 14 CFR Part 121 passenger flight was operating on a flight plan. The 2 pilots, 3 flight attendants and 118 passengers reported no injuries. The flight departed from the Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, en route to MCI. The flight served as captain initial operating experience for the first officer who was seated in the left seat. The captain and company check airman for the flight was seated in the right seat. The captain, who was the nonflying pilot, stated that they had been cleared for a visual approach to runway 01L. The first officer (FO) disengaged and the autopilot and the autothrottles remained engaged for the remainder of the flight. The reference landing speed (Vref) bug was set to 130 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). At 1,000 feet above field elevation (AFE), the airplane was at 140 KIAS and half a dot below glide path. The first officer corrected to the glide path and at 500 feet AFE, the airplane was at 130 KIAS. At 100 feet above AFE, the captain made a call and checked outside to ensure that the airplane was aligned with the runway. He then brought his scan back inside and noticed the airspeed was just below Vref. He told the FO not to slow down any further. He rechecked runway alignment and then noticed the flight mode annunciator display had a blank left window, the throttles were already at idle and the auto throttle switch was in the engaged position while they were about 80 and 40 feet AFE. He decided that the engines would not be able to spool back up at this point and he shifted his attention back outside to gage the position of the airplane. He determined that the only action to take was to ensure that the nose of the airplane was not raised to cushion the landing. The airplane did not slow below Vref. The first officer said that he did not retard the throttles to idle manually. A jump seat rider seated in the forward cabin stated that the airplane appeared to level off and start a flare a little high. A correction was then made to reduce the pitch attitude to continue the descent. There appeared to be a high sink rate, an additional pitch change was made resulting in a firm landing. The Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Commercial Aircraft, and Vanguard Airlines were parties to the investigation. ## Aircraft - Registration: N140NJ (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 49931 - Airframe hours: 28059.53 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney JT8-219 21700 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: Vanguard Airlines Inc. - Registered owner: Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 15, 2002, 21.33 hours before - Departed: MCO, Orlando, FL - Destination: MCI - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MCI, Kansas City International, runway 01, 10,801 × 150 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Co-pilot; age 36; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review May 22, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 7,550 total, 6 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days - Co-pilot; age 48; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1; last flight review January 27, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 10,000 total, 856 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: MCI ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020616027499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020616027499A), Jun 16, 2002: Doug DC982, Kansas City, MO, Substantial damage. (-23) On June 17, 2002 at 09:00, Mr. Tim huff chief inspector of vanguard airlines notified this office, that on June 16, 2002 at 20:30 hours after being… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55006. 2.0 MB in all. - Cockpit Voice Recorder 12 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 1, .PDF, 1 photo, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40163118&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Cockpit%20Voice%20Recorder%2012%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 2, .PDF, 173 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40166197&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Flight Data Recorder 10 - Attachment 1 data file (item 3, .CSV, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40166198&FileExtension=.csv&FileName=Flight%20Data%20Recorder%2010%20-%20Attachment%201%20data%20file-Master.csv - Specialist's Factual FDR Report (item 4, .PDF, 427 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446919&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Specialist%27s%20Factual%20FDR%20Report-Master.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 5, .PDF, 407 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446920&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - ILS Runway Approach Chart (item 6, .PDF, 114 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40195189&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=ILS%20Runway%20Approach%20Chart-Master.PDF - Weather Information (item 7, .PDF, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40195191&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Information-Master.PDF - Crew, Witness Statements (item 8, .PDF, 348 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446921&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Crew,%20Witness%20Statements-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 9, .PDF, 362 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446922&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.