McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F N8053U

Summary

On 11 January 1983 at about 07:52 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F registered N8053U was involved in an accident near Detroit, Michigan, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 January 1983 at 07:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Detroit Metro (DTW)

Coordinates

42.2197, -83.3504

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-54F

Registration

N8053U

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Los Angeles

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA83AA014

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL, & THE ACFT ROTATED TO A TAKEOFF ATTITUDE ABOUT 1/2 TO 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT'S PITCH ATTITUDE STEEPENED & THE PLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. THE ACFT THEN ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT, CRASHED, & BURNED. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND AT 7.5 UNITS ACFT NOSE UP (ANU). ABOUT 65 SECS BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE 1ST OFFICER & 2ND OFFICER CHANGED DUTY POSITIONS. THE BOARD FOUND THAT THE FLTCREW FAILED TO FOLLOW PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS & TO DETECT & CORRECT A MISTRIMMED STABILIZER BEFORE THE ACFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CAPTAIN HAD ALLOWED THE 2ND OFFICER TO OCCUPY THE 1ST OFFICER'S SEAT. THE 2ND OFFICER HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN UPGRADE TRAINING TO BECOME A 1ST OFFICER, BUT WAS UNABLE EVEN WITH EXTENDED TRAINING & HAD VOLUNTEERED TO FOREGO FURTHER BIDDING FOR THE POSITION OF 1ST OFFICER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.