TWA Flight 514

TWA Flight 514

A Trans World Airlines Boeing 727-200, similar to the one involved
Accident summary
Date	December 1, 1974 11:09:22 am EST
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain
Site	Mount Weather, Clarke County, Virginia, U.S. 39°04.6′N 77°52.9′W / 39.0767°N 77.8817°W / 39.0767; -77.8817Coordinates: 39°04.6′N 77°52.9′W / 39.0767°N 77.8817°W / 39.0767; -77.8817
Passengers	85
Crew	7
Fatalities	92 (all)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Boeing 727-231
Operator	Trans World Airlines
Registration	N54328
Flight origin	Indianapolis, Indiana
Stopover	Columbus, Ohio
Destination	Dulles International diverted from National Airport

Trans World Airlines Flight 514, registration N54328, was a Boeing 727-231 en route from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Columbus, Ohio, to Washington Dulles International that crashed into Mount Weather, Virginia, on December 1, 1974. All 85 passengers and 7 crew members were killed.

The flight was originally destined for Washington National Airport. However, the plane diverted to Dulles when high crosswinds, east at 28 knots (52 km/h) and gusting to 49 knots (91 km/h), prevented safe operations on the main north-south runway at Washington National. The flight was being vectored for a non-precision instrument approach to runway 12 at Dulles. Air traffic controllers cleared the flight down to 7,000 feet (2,100 m) before clearing them for the approach while not on a published segment.

The jetliner began a descent to 1,800 feet (550 m) shown on the first checkpoint for the published approach. The data recorder indicated there was some confusion in the cockpit over whether they were still under a radar controlled approach segment which would allow them to descend safely. After reaching 1,800 feet (550 m) there were some 100-to-200-foot (30 to 60 m) altitude deviations which the flight crew discussed as encountering heavy downdrafts and reduced visibility in snow. The plane impacted the west slope of Mount Weather at 1,670 feet (509 m) above sea level at approximately 230 knots (430 km/h; 260 mph). The wreckage was contained within an area about 900 feet (270 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide. The evidence of first impact was trees whose tops were cut off about 70 feet (21 m) feet above the ground. The elevation at the base of the trees was 1,650 feet (500 m). The wreckage path was oriented along a line 118 degrees magnetic. Calculations indicated that the left wing went down about 6 degrees as the aircraft passed through the trees and the aircraft was descending at an angle of about 1 degree. After about 500 feet (150 m) of travel through the trees, the aircraft struck a rock outcropping at an elevation of about 1,675 feet (511 m). Numerous heavy components of the aircraft were thrown forward of the outcropping. Numerous intense post-impact fires were located, and extinguished. The mountain's summit is at 1,754 feet (535 m).