Accident Report Detail

On Tuesday, February 16, 1995, at 2027 central standard time, a Douglas DC-S-63, N782AL, operated by Air Transport International, was destroyed by ground impact and fire during an attempted takeoff at the Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri. The three flight crewmembers were fata11y injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted as a ferry flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Safety issues discussed in the report focused on three-enginc takeoff training and procedures, flightcrew fatigue, company crew assignment decisionmaking, and Federal Aviation Administration oversight of the company. Safety recommendations concerning these issues were made to the Federal Aviation Administration and Air Transport International. Also, as a result of the investigation of this accident, on March 30, 1995, the Safety Board issued Urgent Action Safety Recommendations A-95-38 and -39 to The Federal Aviation Administration concerning practices at Air Transport International.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of this accident were:

(l) the loss of directional control by the pilot in command during the takeoff roll, and his decision to continue the takeoff and initiate a rotation below the computed rotation airspeed. resulting in a premature liftoff. further loss of control and collision with the terrain.

(2) the flightcrew's lack of understanding of the three-engine takeoff procedures, and their decision to modify those procedures.

(3) the failure of the company to ensure that the flightcrew had adequate experience, training, and rest to conduct the nonroutine flight.

Contributing to the accident was the inadequacy of Federal Aviation Administration oversight of Air Transport International and Federal Aviation Administration flight and duty time regulations that permitted a substantially reduced flightcrew rest period when conducting a nonrevenue ferry flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.