ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N954U Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 22 November 1994
Time:22:03
Type:Silhouette image of generic MD82 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82)
Operator:Trans World Airlines - TWA
Registration: N954U
MSN: 49426/1399
First flight: 1988
Total airframe hrs:21438
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217A
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 132
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 140
Collision casualties:Fatalities: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL) (   United States of America)
Phase: Takeoff (TOF)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL/KSTL), United States of America
Destination airport:Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN), United States of America
Flightnumber:TW427
Narrative:
TWA flight 427 collided with a Cessna 441, N441KM, at the intersection of runway 30R and taxiway Romeo, at the Lambert-St. Louis Airport. The MD-82 was taking off for Denver and had accelerated through 80 knots when the collision occurred. The MD-82 sustained substantial damage during the collision. The Cessna 441, operated by Superior Aviation, was destroyed. The pilot and the passenger were killed.

Probable Cause:

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."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 281 days (9 months)
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-95/05
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Runway incursion
Runway mishap

Sources:
» NTSB/AAR-95/05


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 12 Safety Recommendations

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Photos

photo of DC-9-82-N954U
accident date: 22-11-1994
type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82)
registration: N954U
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO to Denver-Stapleton International Airport, CO as the crow flies is 1245 km (778 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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