Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 facts for kids
A FH227B similar to the accident aircraft
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 July 1973 |
| Summary | Windshear accident |
| Place | Normandy, Missouri, United States 38°43′07″N 90°18′30″W / 38.71861°N 90.30833°W |
| Passengers | 41 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 6 |
| Fatalities | 38 |
| Survivors | 6 |
| Aircraft type | Fairchild-Hiller FH-227 |
| Airline/user | Ozark Air Lines |
| Registration | N4215 |
| Flew from | Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| 1st stopover | Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Airport, Clarksville, Tennessee, United States |
| 2nd stopover | Barkley Regional Airport, Paducah, Kentucky, United States |
| 3rd stopover | Cape Girardeau Airport, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States |
| Last stopover | Williamson County Regional Airport, Marion, Illinois, United States |
| Flying to | St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 was a regular flight that flew from Nashville, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri. It made four stops along the way. On July 23, 1973, the plane crashed while trying to land at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Sadly, 38 of the 44 people on board died. Investigators later found that a very strong downdraft, which is a powerful rush of air moving downwards, caused the crash. This downdraft was linked to a thunderstorm nearby.
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What Happened to Flight 809?
On July 23, 1973, Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 was flown by a Fairchild-Hiller FH-227 airplane. Its registration number was N4215. The flight was supposed to travel from Nashville, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri. It had four planned stops in Clarksville, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and Marion, Illinois. The first parts of the flight went smoothly.
Weather Conditions and Departure
Even though the weather was clear at the flight's stops, some people in Marion felt uneasy. They said the sky "didn't look good." The flight left Marion at 5:05 PM, heading for St. Louis.
At 5:26 PM, the plane arrived near St. Louis. The air was hazy, making it hard to see clearly. The flight continued, and soon after, the pilots told their company that a fuel pump was not working. This problem, however, was not related to the later crash.
Approaching St. Louis Airport
At 5:32 PM, Flight 809 entered an area with thunderstorms around St. Louis International Airport. The pilot told the passengers that they were about to experience turbulence, which is bumpy air. At 5:42 PM, the air traffic controller in St. Louis warned Flight 809. They said that thunderstorms were moving south of the runway, right where the plane was headed. This was the last message received from the flight.
The aircraft crashed about 2 miles (3.2 km) before reaching the runway. It landed in a wooded valley next to homes in Normandy, Missouri. This area was also near the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Investigating the Crash
The plane crashed directly in the path where planes approach St. Louis International Airport. It had dropped too low, hitting the ground before the runway. People who saw the crash described what happened. They saw the plane "suddenly go up to 400 or 500 feet" (about 122 to 152 meters). Then, it "quickly dropped to 200 feet" (61 meters). After that, it was hit by lightning. Witnesses also said the plane made several quick turns, trying to avoid something. Then, it crashed into the trees. Everyone who saw it said it was raining very heavily at the time.
Other Flights and Survivor Accounts
A Trans World Airlines flight landed just before Flight 809. The pilots of that plane reported getting caught in a very strong updraft. An updraft is a powerful current of air moving upwards. Because of this, they had to stop their landing and try again.
The captain and first officer of Flight 809 both survived the crash. The first officer could not remember anything about the accident. However, the captain remembered hail hitting the plane. He also recalled pulling the control stick and seeing fire after the impact.
Aircraft Damage and Findings
The airplane broke into several pieces when it crashed. The cockpit area, where the pilots sit, was separated from the main wreckage. Four passengers were thrown clear of the plane during the impact, and they all survived. The rest of the plane's body was torn open. Everyone in that part of the plane died upon impact.
Investigators did not find any major mechanical problems with the plane. The only issue was the fuel pump that wasn't working, but this did not cause the crash. The plane was found to be in a high nose-up position when it hit the ground.
The air traffic controller had directed Flight 809 towards Runway 30L at St. Louis. The flight crew knew there were thunderstorms nearby. However, the controller's calm tone might have made the crew think they could land before the storms became too bad.
As the plane flew through the storm, very strong winds were present. Investigators believed that a powerful downdraft pushed the plane down. This downdraft made the plane drop below the correct path for landing. The crew tried to avoid the crash, but their actions were not enough to stop the plane from hitting the ground.
Investigators wanted to know two main things. First, why didn't the controller tell the flight how serious the storm was? Second, since the flight crew knew about the storms, why didn't they ask for a different path to the airport to avoid the bad weather?
Why the Crash Happened
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a group that investigates accidents. They concluded that the crash happened because the plane flew into a very strong downdraft while trying to land. They also found that the captain decided to continue flying into an area where he knew there was a severe storm. The captain's choice was affected by two things. The weather service did not warn them about the storm in time. Also, the flight dispatcher did not properly judge how bad the weather conditions were.
