- Date
- September 20, 1990, 07:07 local (14:07 UTC)
- Place
- Marana, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N320MJBoeing 707-321B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19900920041229A
- Case key
- 15937
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, and his failure to use a checklist. Factors related to the accident were: the faa's inadequate surveillance of the operation, the faa's insufficient standards/requirements, the pilot's operation of the aircraft with known deficiences, and his lack of recent experience in the type of aircraft.
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
Witnesses rprtd 1st atmt to tkof was aborted after acft swerved left & rgt. On 2nd try, acft lifted off abt halfway dwn rwy. After lift-off, it rolled rgt, rgt wing hit gnd & acft crashed. Inv revealed rudder trim was 7.9 to 8.3 units (79% to 83%) nose rgt. Simulator tests with that setting resulted in consistent rgt wing collisions with gnd after lift-off. Crew's checklist referred to mech checklist for critical items to check bfr tkof. Mech checklist & 50 of 54 flt inst had been removed fm acft, leaving 2 airspeed indcrs, altimeter & stby gyro horizon. In 60 simulated tkofs in this configuration, there was evidence of insufficient attitudinal ref to recognize rolling of acft bfr sufficient alt was attained. Faa's designated airworthiness rep (dar) had inspd acft 3 days bfr & issued ferry permit. He lacked FAA mech cert & experience with large acft. FAA order 8000.62 & ac 183.33 lacked spec guidance for selection, trng & oversight of dar activity. Also, lack of guidance concerning min equip list. Plt not current or med qualified to fly acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N320MJ
- Reported as
- Boeing 707-321B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20028
- Airframe hours
- 34,965
- Engine
- P&W JT3D-3, 18,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Omega Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special flight (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 17, 1990 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- MZJ · Marana, AZ
- Destination
- DMA · Tucson, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Pinal Airpark, runway 12, 6,280 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 13,192 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DMA, 32 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.