- Date
- April 13, 1987, 21:55 local (Apr 14, 1987, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Kansas City, MO
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N144SPBoeing 707-351C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- FAA report
- 19870413083419A
- Case key
- 15879
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Drg arr, buffalo airways flt 721 was vectored for an ILS rwy 1 apch. Except for deviations to avoid tstms, dscnt to the terminal area was routine. At 2151:01, the flt was adzd it was 5 mi fm the outer marker (om), was given a final vector to intercept the ILS localizer (LOC) at 2400' & was clrd for the apch. At 2153:07, the flt rprtd ovr the om 'inbound.' At that time, the LCL ctlr (lc) warned the flt to 'check alt immediately,' & that it was suppose to be at 2400'. Shortlythereafter, an msaw (min safe alt warning) alert was activated. The lc warned flt 721 that he had rcvd an msaw alert & adzd it to clb to 2400'. Flt 721 did not respond by radio to either safety adzy. The acft crashed aprx 3 mi short of rwy 1. The om alt was 2400'; decision hgt (dh) for apch was 1211'. FDR & radar data showed the acft passed the om at 1700'. The CVR revealed the fo gave alt info in 100' increments dwn to the dh, but did not adz the capt of the alt errorat the om or rprt the rwy not in sight at the dh. The gnd proximity warning sys (GPWS) did not warn the crew.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N144SP
- Reported as
- Boeing 707-351C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19209
- Engine
- P&W JT-3D-3B, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Buffalo Airways,Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- 1CT · Wichita, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MCI · Kansas City Intl, runway 1, 10,801 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 167 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MC1, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.