Boeing 727 200 N720CK

Summary

On 29 January 2019 at about 04:05 local time, a Boeing 727 200 registered N720CK, operated by Kalitta Charters Ii Llc, was involved in an accident near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 January 2019 at 04:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (KTCL)

Coordinates

33.2200, -87.6100

Aircraft

Boeing 727 200

Registration

N720CK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

3

Operator

Kalitta Charters Ii Llc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laredo → Tuscaloosa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

DCA19LA070

Nobody was injured.

the captain's decision to continue the landing with an unsafe gear indication.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight from LRD to the TCL area was normal, with no weather or operational issues. As the flight was on final approach, with the power near idle, the captain called for flaps 15 and gear down. A red status light for the nose gear illuminated indicating it was not down and locked. All flight crewmembers reported they saw the light. The flight engineer recommended recycling the gear lever, and the First Officer recommended a go-around to troubleshoot. The Captain declined and continued the approach. He did not call for or conduct any checklists for abnormal gear operation. The airplane landed long, and upon derotation, the forward fuselage contacted the runway with the nose gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage. The airplane came to rest with less than 500 feet of pavement remaining. The aircraft operation manual notes that attempting to extend gear while simultaneously operating flaps at idle power may result in unreliable gear operation. A crew operating the accident airplane two days prior reported having a gear issue under those conditions. Recycling the gear lever cleared the problem. It is likely that if the crew had conducted a go-around and completed the abnormal checklists and/or cycled the gear, the nose gear would have extended. Had it not extended, a go-around would have allowed for a more stabilized approach and landing with more runway available.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.