USAir Flight 427 Crash: 131 Dead in Lethal Boeing 737 Wreck

Strategic Insights -

USAir Boeing 737 jetliner, Flight 427, crashed in Hopewell, Pennsylvania, on Thursday evening with 126 passengers and a crew of five aboard, killing all 131 people on board. The plane, en route from Chicago to Pittsburgh and final destination of West Palm Beach, Florida, suffered engine trouble and crashed about half a mile behind Green Garden Plaza, just six minutes before it was scheduled to land. The crash has raised questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 model, which has been involved in three fatal wrecks in the last five years.

Key Takeaways:

  • The USAir Boeing 737 jetliner, Flight 427, crashed in Hopewell, Pennsylvania, on Thursday evening, killing all 131 people on board.
  • The plane suffered engine trouble and crashed about half a mile behind Green Garden Plaza, just six minutes before it was scheduled to land at Pittsburgh International Airport.
  • The crash has raised questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 model, which has been involved in three fatal wrecks in the last five years.
  • USAir Vice President David Shipley said there is no indication as to what caused the crash, saying, 'There is no indication as to what caused what occurred tonight.'
  • The Pittsburgh International Airport, which handles about 110 flights daily, was not a factor in the crash, with officials stating that the weather was 'crystal clear.'
  • Witnesses described seeing pieces of bodies lying on the ground and in trees near the crash site.
  • An NTSB team will leave Washington, D.C. in the early morning to investigate the crash, with up to about 10 investigators.
  • USAir will fly family members who need transportation to Pittsburgh and put them up in hotel.

Statistics:

  • 131 people died in the crash of USAir flight 427.
  • 126 passengers and 5 crew members were aboard the plane.
  • The crash occurred just 6 minutes before the plane was scheduled to land.
  • The plane was traveling at an altitude of 6,000 feet when it lost contact with USAir radar.
  • The plane's pilots began reporting engine trouble 25 to 30 miles before it reached Pittsburgh International Airport.
  • The Pittsburgh International Airport handles about 110 flights daily.

Sources:

  • USA Today
  • CNN
  • United Press International (UPI)
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)