USAir Flight 427
A USAir Boeing 737-300 similar to the one involved.
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| Occurrence summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 8, 1994 |
| Summary | Rudder hardover |
| Site |
Hopewell Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania 40°36′14″N 80°18′37″W / 40.60393°N 80.31026°WCoordinates: 40°36′14″N 80°18′37″W / 40.60393°N 80.31026°W |
| Passengers | 127 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 132 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-3B7 |
| Operator | USAir |
| Registration | N513AU |
| Flight origin | O'Hare International Airport |
| Stopover | Pittsburgh International Airport |
| Destination | West Palm Beach Int'l Airport |
USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Pittsburgh International Airport, with a final destination of West Palm Beach, Florida. On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed while approaching runway 28R of Pittsburgh International Airport, located in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which at the time was the largest hub for the airline.
After the longest investigation in the history of the NTSB, it was determined that the aircraft's rudder malfunctioned and went hard-over in the opposite direction the pilots commanded it to, causing the plane to enter an aerodynamic stall, from which the pilots were unable to recover. All 132 people on board the aircraft were killed.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-3B7, registration N513AU, and previously registered as N382AU. The aircraft was delivered in 1987 and was powered by two CFM56-3B2 engines and had recorded approximately 16,800 hours of flight time before the crash.
Captain Peter Germano, 45, was hired by USAir in February 1981. First Officer Charles B. "Chuck" Emmett III, 38, was hired in February 1987 by Piedmont Airlines (which merged into USAir in 1989). Both pilots were regarded as excellent pilots. They were both very experienced, with approximately 12,000 flight hours and 9,000 flight hours respectively. Flight attendants Stanley Canty and April Slater were hired in 1989 by Piedmont Airlines. Flight attendant Sarah Slocum-Hamley was hired in October 1988 by USAir.
During its arrival into Pittsburgh, Flight 427 was sequenced behind Delta Airlines Flight 1083, a Boeing 727-200. At no time was Flight 427 closer than 4.1 miles to Delta 1083, according to radar data.
At 7:02:57 p.m., the aircraft entered the wake turbulence of the Delta it was sequenced behind and there were three sudden thumps, clicking sounds, and a louder thump, and then the 737 began to bank and roll to the left. The aircraft stalled and rolled upside down. Germano exclaimed "Hold on" numerous times, while Emmett said "Oh shit." Germano exclaimed, "What the hell is this?" As air traffic control noticed Flight 427 descending without permission, Germano keyed the mic and stated, "Four-twenty-seven, emergency!" The aircraft then rolled back upright, but after a few seconds on its side, the aircraft continued to roll while pitched nose-down at the ground. Emmett shouted "What the hell!" and the air traffic controller heard this. In an 80-degree nose-down position, banked 60 degrees left and traveling at 300 mph (480 km/h), the 737 slammed into the ground and exploded at 7:03:25 p.m. in Hopewell Township, Beaver County, near Aliquippa.
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