Northwest Airlines Flight 1482
Encyclopedia
Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 was a flight scheduled from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
to Pittsburgh International Airport
. On the 3 December 1990 a Douglas DC-9-14
commercial jet operated for the route taxied on to the active runway by mistake in dense fog and was hit by a departing Boeing 727
operating Northwest Airlines Flight 299 to Memphis. One crew and seven occupants of the DC-9 were killed.
The captain escaped from the aircraft through the left sliding window. 18 people escaped from the aircraft from the left overwing exit. 13 persons got out through the left main boarding door. 4 people jumped from the right service door. The rear jumpseat flight attendant and a passenger died from smoke inhalation; the flight attendant was found on the catwalk inside the tailcone below the release handle, and the passenger was found partially lying on the tailcone release slide. The tailcone had not been jettisoned.
Of the surviving passengers, the NTSB stated that 10 received serious injuries and 23 received minor or no injuries. The three surviving crew members received minor or no injuries. The NTSB added that it did not receive medical records for three passengers who were admitted to a burn center; for the purposes of the report, the NTSB labeled their injuries as serious. The NTSB did not receive medical records for the copilot and 6 passengers who were treated and released from area hospitals; for the purposes of the report the NTSB assumed that they received minor injuries.
N3313L and had been built in 1966 with 62,253 airframe hours. The Boeing 727 was registered N278US and had been built in 1975 with 37,310 airframe hours.
, which determined the probable cause of the accident to be:
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
to Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
. On the 3 December 1990 a Douglas DC-9-14
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
commercial jet operated for the route taxied on to the active runway by mistake in dense fog and was hit by a departing Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
operating Northwest Airlines Flight 299 to Memphis. One crew and seven occupants of the DC-9 were killed.
Accident
Northwest 1482 was cleared from the gate towards Runway 03C, but it missed turning onto taxiway Oscar 6 and instead entered the Outer taxiway. To correct the error they were instructed to turn right onto Taxiway Xray but they turned onto the active runway 03C. They realised the mistake and contacted air traffic for instructions who told them to leave the runway immediately, five seconds later (at 13:45 EST) the crew saw a Boeing 727 heading towards them. The Boeing 727 was operating the Northwest 299 flight to Memphis and had just been cleared for take-off. The 727 wing hit the right-hand side of the DC-9 and cut through the fuselage just below the windows until it cut off the DC-9s #2 engine. The DC-9 caught fire and was destroyed, the 727 just had a damaged wing and was later repaired.The captain escaped from the aircraft through the left sliding window. 18 people escaped from the aircraft from the left overwing exit. 13 persons got out through the left main boarding door. 4 people jumped from the right service door. The rear jumpseat flight attendant and a passenger died from smoke inhalation; the flight attendant was found on the catwalk inside the tailcone below the release handle, and the passenger was found partially lying on the tailcone release slide. The tailcone had not been jettisoned.
Of the surviving passengers, the NTSB stated that 10 received serious injuries and 23 received minor or no injuries. The three surviving crew members received minor or no injuries. The NTSB added that it did not receive medical records for three passengers who were admitted to a burn center; for the purposes of the report, the NTSB labeled their injuries as serious. The NTSB did not receive medical records for the copilot and 6 passengers who were treated and released from area hospitals; for the purposes of the report the NTSB assumed that they received minor injuries.
Aircraft
The Douglas DC-9 was registeredAircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
N3313L and had been built in 1966 with 62,253 airframe hours. The Boeing 727 was registered N278US and had been built in 1975 with 37,310 airframe hours.
Investigation
The accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
, which determined the probable cause of the accident to be:
Aftermath
Milio Rinna, a passenger of Flight 1482 who assisted survivors off of the aircraft, later filed a lawsuit against the airline.External links
- Aviation Safety Network N3313L
- Aviation Safety Network N278US
- National Transportation Safety Board Aircraft Accident Report NTSB/AAR-91/05
- Levin, Doron P. COLLISION IN DETROIT; At Least 8 Die in Collision On Detroit Airport Runway." The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Tuesday December 4, 1990. Section B, Page 16, New York edition.