​​​On September 20, 1989, USAir,' Snc. flight 5050 was departing New York City' s LaGuardia Airport, Flushing," New York, for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina. As the first officer began the takeoff on runway 31, he felt the airplane drift left. The captain noticed the left drift also and used the nosewheel tiller to help steer. As the takeoff run progressed, the aircrew heard a "bang" and a continual rumbling noise. The captain then took over and rejected the takeoff but did not stop the airplane before running off the end of the runway into Bowery Bay. Instrument flight conditions prevailed at the time and the runway was wet.      

​We ​d​etermined that the probable cause of this accident was the captain's failure to exercise his command authority in a timely manner to reject the takeoff or take sufficient control to continue the takeoff, which was initiated with a mistrimmed rudder. 

​Also causal was the captain's failure to detect the mistrimmed rudder before the takeoff was attempted.       ​​

​​As a result of this investigation, we made the following recommendations : ​

To the Federal Aviation Administration: 

• Develop standards for the design, construction, operati on, and performance of megaphones. (A-90-104) 
• Require air1 ines to provide airport crash/fire rescue personnel accurate and timely numbers of all persons aboard an accident/incident aircraft, and to provide assistance in determining the disposition of persons who have been recovered from the scene of an accident. (A-90-105)
• Require air carriers to adopt procedures that would result in the completion of a modified or full acceptance check1 ist whenever the flightcrew has vacated the cockpit. (A-90-106) 
• Issue an Air Carrier Operations Bulletin directing all Principal Operations Inspectors to urge air carriers to schedule newly-trained captains and first officers on regular trip schedules immediately following completion of training, until they accrue a prescribed amount of line operating time in their respective positions in order to consolidate their recently-acquired training. (A-90-107) 
• Amend 14 CFR 121.385 to specify a combined experience level for initial pilot-in-command and initial second-incommand pilots which would preclude the pairing of two pilots, each of whom has relatively low experience in his or her respective position. (A-90- 108) 

To the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: ​Survey the 1,000 foot by 500 foot surface area contiguous to the departure ends of the runways at the LaGuardia Airport in order to minimize hazards to airplanes that do not stop on the runways. (A-90-111)

Previously Issued Recommendations