Air Canada Flight 189was anAir Canadaflight fromOttawatoVancouverviaTorontoandWinnipeg.On June 26, 1978, theMcDonnell Douglas DC-9operating the flight crashed on takeoff in Toronto, killing two passengers.
 CF-TLV, the aircraft involved in the crash, in 1969 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 26, 1978 |
| Summary | Mechanical failure followed bypilot error |
| Site | Etobicoke CreeknearToronto International Airport,Toronto,Ontario,Canada 43°39′35″N79°37′32″W/ 43.65972°N 79.62556°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 |
| Operator | Air Canada |
| Registration | CF-TLV |
| Flight origin | Toronto International Airport |
| Destination | Winnipeg International Airport |
| Occupants | 107 |
| Passengers | 102 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 105[1] |
| Survivors | 105 |
Aircraft
editThe aircraft involved was aMcDonnell Douglas DC-932 series, powered by twoPratt & Whitney JT8Dengines. At the time of the incident the aircraft had accumulated 25,476 hours of flight time.[2]The aircraft was registered CF-TLV and was the 289th DC-9 built at the Long Beach assembly plant.[citation needed]The 32 series was a stretched version of the DC-9 that was 15 feet (4.6 m) longer than the original series 10.[3]
Accident
editDuring takeoff, at 8:15 a.m., one of theMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-32's tires burst and partially disintegrated, firing chunks of rubber into thelanding gearmechanism.[1]This set off an "unsafe gear" warning, prompting the pilot toabort the takeoff.[4]The aircraft, however, was already two-thirds along the length of runway 23L and travelling at 154knots(285 km/h).[5]It could not stop before the end of the runway, and plunged off the edge of an embankment while still travelling at 60 knots (110 km/h), coming to a rest in theEtobicoke Creekravine.[6]The plane broke into three pieces, but despite its full load offueldid not catch fire.[5]The accident was visible from Highway 401, which runs alongside the south side of the airport.
The plane was destroyed. Two passengers were killed. Both were seated at the site of the forward split in thefuselage.All of the other 105 passengers and crew aboard were injured.
Investigation
editThe subsequent investigation found multiple causes of the accident. It recommended greater scrutiny be given to the tires.[4]The pilot, Reginald W. Stewart, delayed four seconds after the warning light came on before he chose to abort the takeoff; a more immediate decision would have prevented the accident.[5]The investigators also criticized the level of training inemergency braking.[5]The presence of the ravine at the end of the runway was also questioned, but nothing was done about it.[6]This failure to expand the airport's overshoot zone was raised whenAir France Flight 358plunged into the same ravine 27 years later.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abPalango, Paul (June 26, 1978). "2 killed, 105 hurt in DC-9 crash".The Globe and Mail.Toronto. p. 1.
- ^Ranter, Harro."Accident description".aviation-safety.net.Aviation Safety Network.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2006.
- ^"Boeing, History, Products, DC-9 Commercial Transport".boeing.com.Boeing.Archivedfrom the original on April 10, 2015.
- ^abCanadian Press (March 28, 1979). "Jet's crash traced to 4-second delay in use of full brakes".The Globe and Mail.Toronto. pp. 1–2.
- ^abcd Graham, Bob (March 28, 1979). "4-second delay cost two lives report finds".The Toronto Star.Toronto. pp. A1–A2.
- ^abFurness, Richard (October 7, 1978). "Extend runway over creek, air crash jury urges".The Globe and Mail.Toronto. pp. 1–2.
- ^Priest, Lisa (August 3, 2005). "Takeoffs and landings always pose risk of calamity, as history shows".The Globe and Mail.Toronto. p. A11.