World Airways

Douglas DC-10

The flight was conducting a straight-in approach during visual meteorological conditions. The approach was backed up by an ILS and was stable at 500 feet above touchdown. The initial touchdown was firm and main landing gear rebounded, possibly bouncing slightly off the runway. Control column input and possibly momentum from the touchdown resulted in a rapid pitch down and hard nose gear impact with the runway. Wing spoilers likely did not deploy due to the main gear bounce and/or throttle position. Following the nose gear impact, the airplane pitched up as expected and the column was held in a slightly forward position. Airspeed rapidly decayed, and engine power began to increase as the airplane pitch reversed to a downward motion for a second time. One of the crew, likely the FO, called “flare flare” and the column recorded a rapid nose up input, followed by a rapid nose down input, and the nose gear again struck the runway very hard, likely causing the majority of the damage at that point. Following the second nose gear impact, column inputs stabilized at a slightly nose up command, power was set on all three engines, and the go-around was successfully executed. A slight lag in the power increase on engine number 3 may have contributed to the nose down motion leading to the second nose gear impact, although the large forward (airplane nose down) column movement appears to be a much more significant contributor. It is unclear why the engine was slower to increase. Throttle lever angle was not recorded, but the engine operated as expected for all other phases of the flight, including after the impact, therefore it is possible the pilot did not advance the number 3 throttle concurrently with the others. The captain’s flight and duty schedule complied with Federal Aviation regulations, but he experienced a demanding 10-day trip schedule prior to the incident involving multiple time zone crossings and several long duty periods, and reported difficulties sleeping prior to the accident leg. The captain was likely further affected by a digestive system upset during the accident flight. It is likely that the captain’s performance was degraded by fatigue and some degree of physical discomfort brought on by a short-term illness. The captain had recently completed upgrade training to DC-10, having previously been flying as an MD-11 first officer. The training program was fragmented over approximately ten months, and while in accordance with FAA regulations, may have adversely affected his consolidation of skills and experience.

Douglas DC-10

Following a non-precision instrument approach to runway 15R at Boston-Logan International Airport, the airplane touched down about 2,800 feet beyond the displaced threshold of the 9,191-foot usable part of the runway. About 1936:40, the airplane veered to avoid the approach light pier at the departure end of the runway and slid into the shallow water of Boston Harbor. The nose section separated from the fuselage in the impact after the airplane dropped from the shore embankment. Of the 212 persons on board, 2 persons are missing and presumed dead. The other persons onboard evacuated the airplane safely, some with injuries.

Douglas DC-8

On behalf of the USAF, the four engine airplane departed Travis AFB on a cargo flight to Clark AFB, Philippines, with intermediate stops in Cold Bay and Yokota AFB. While approaching Cold Bay by night at an altitude of 3,500 feet, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Dutton (4,941 feet high) located 18 miles east of Cold Bay Airport. At impact, the aircraft's speed was 185 knots and it was heading 275°. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the airplane was off course by 12°.

Douglas DC-6

On September 19, 1960, at approximately 0602 local time, a Douglas DC-6AB, N 90779, operated by World Airways, Inc., as Military Air Transport Flight 830/18, bound for Wake Island and the United States. crashed and burned on Mt. Barrigada approximately two nautical miles from the departure end of runway 6L, Agana Naval Air Station, Guam, Mariana Islands. Of the 94 occupants on board, seven crew members and 73 passengers received fatal injuries; one crew member and 13 passengers survived. The flight received FAA Air Route Traffic Control route and departure clearances and took off into night VFR weather conditions. It made a right turn after takeoff and although making a-continuous climb over the distance flown. it struck Mt. Barrigada at a point approximately 300 feet above the elevation of the airport, and slid into the thick-underbrush cutting a Swath for nearly 1,1000 feet before it came to rest. Damage and injury were more attributable to fire than impact forces. The Board determines that this accident occurred because of the failure of the pilot to comply with published departure procedures applicable to runways 6 left and 6 right.