On October 19, 2021, a corporate McDonnell Douglas MD-87, registered as N987AK, crashed and caught fire during take-off, 1,600 feet (500 m) from Houston Executive Airport.[1] Those on board, 18 passengers and three crew members, were safely evacuated out of the aircraft. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and was subsequently written-off.[2]
Aircraft
N987AK, the aircraft involved in the accidentThe same aircraft, seen in 2003, when it was in operation with Aeromexico, under the registration of N204AM
The aircraft was a 33-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-87, registered as N987AK. It was originally delivered to Finnair in 1988 as OH-LMB. Sold to Aeroméxico in 2000 as N204AM, it then passed through several other airlines before entering into service in a corporate configuration with 987 Investments LLC, as N987AK, in 2015.[2]
Flight
The aircraft was on a charter flight from Brookshire, Texas, to Boston, Massachusetts, as the passengers were destined to see the Houston Astros play in Boston vs the Boston Red Sox baseball team in the 2021 American League Championship Series.[3] The aircraft was taking off at 10:00 a.m. from Runway 36 when it overshot the runway, ran into a fence and a powerline before coming to a halt, 500 meters (1,600 ft; 550 yd) from the runway. It immediately caught fire. All 21 occupants onboard escaped from the burning aircraft safely.[4][5] Two occupants received serious injuries while one other occupant received minor injuries.[6] Emergency services took action with fire retardants and successfully controlled the flames from the wreckage.[7] The aircraft burned down with only the tail-section left intact.[8]
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident. The fire-damaged flight data recorders were retrieved from the wreckage of N987AK.[9] In November, the NTSB revealed that both the aircraft's elevators were found to be jammed in the down position. A similar condition had been found in the crash of Ameristar Charters Flight 9363, an MD-83, four years earlier.[10]
Probable Cause
On September 28, 2023 the NTSB released the probable cause of the accident. The NTSB stated the jammed elevators prevented the airplane from rotating during the takeoff. The jammed elevators condition was caused by dynamic high wind while parked like the Ameristar Charters Flight 9363 accident in 2017. Following the 2017 accident, Boeing recommended revised preflight procedures to detect jammed elevators.[6] Despite the revised recommendation the first officer did not follow the revised procedures due to his unawareness of the updated procedures. Everts Air Cargo, his primary employer did not download or were aware of the Boeing bulletin.[11][12]
Following the accident Everts Air Cargo updated their manuals and pilot training to detect elevator jamming events.[12]
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