McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 N954U
23 November 1994 · Bridgeton, Missouri, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 November 1994 at about 04:03 local time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 registered N954U, operated by Trans World Airlines, Inc., was involved in an accident near Bridgeton, Missouri, United States. 142 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 04:03
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bridgeton, Missouri, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lambert-St. Louis Intl (STL)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82
- Registration
- N954U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Trans World Airlines, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Denver
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- CHI95MA044
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 140 |
Probable cause
The Cessna 441 pilot's mistaken belief that his assigned departure runway was runway 30R, which resulted in his undetected entrance onto runway 30R, which was being used by the MD-82 for its departure. Contributing to the accident was the lack of Automatic Terminal Information Service and other air traffic control (ATC) information regarding the occasional use of runway 31 for departure. The installation and utilization of Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-3), and particularly ASDE-3 enhanced with the Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS), could have prevented this accident. (NTSB Report AAR-95/05)
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the takeoff roll on runway 30R, the MD-82, N954U, collided with the Cessna 441, N441KM, which was positioned on the runway waiting for takeoff clearance. The pilot of the Cessna acted on an apparently preconceived idea that he would use his arrival runway, runway 30R, for departure. After receiving taxi clearance to back-taxi into position and hold on runway 31, the pilot taxied into a position at an intersection on runway 30R, which was the assigned departure runway for the MD-82. The ATIS current at the time the Cessna pilot was operating in the Lambert-St. Louis area listed runways 30R and 30L as the active runways for arrivals and departures; there was no mention of the occasional use of runway 31. Air traffic control personnel were not able to maintain visual contact with the Cessna after it taxied from the well-lighted ramp area into the runway/taxiway environment of the northeast portion of the airport. An operational ASDE-3, particularly ASDE-3 enhanced with AMASS, could be used to supplement visual scan of the northeast portion of the airport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 DC-9-82 | N954U | Trans World Airlines, Inc. | Substantial |
| Cessna 441 441 | N441KM | Superior Aviation, Inc. | Destroyed |
Other McDonnell Douglas DC-9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 1995 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | Airborne Express Inc | No injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 1993 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | Saint Louis, Missouri, United States | Trans World Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 1993 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 | Savannah, Georgia, United States | American Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1995 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 | Maria la Baja, Colombia | Intercontinental de Aviacion | Unknown | - |
| 17 Mar 1995 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | Barranquilla, Colombia | Intercontinetal de Aviacion | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1993 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | TWA, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jun 1994 | Lake LA-250 | Jefferson City, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-39 | Viburnum, Missouri, United States | Shapiro Brothers Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jul 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Harviell, Missouri, United States | RH and RH, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 May 1994 | Davis TRI-Q 200 | Joplin, Missouri, United States | William G. McBryde | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Jul 1994 | Aero Commander CALAIR A-9B | Excelsior Sprgs, Missouri, United States | Air Cover, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Jul 1994 | Mooney M20C | MacOn, Missouri, United States | Full Moonies | No injuries | - |