Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254

On April 9, 1990, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254, a scheduled passenger flight from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to Gadsden, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, was involved in a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172 over Gadsden. The collision resulted in the death of the pilot and passenger of the Cessna 172.[1][2]

Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) Flight 2254
Accident
DateApril 9, 1990
SummaryMid-air collision
SiteGadsden, Alabama, United States
Total fatalities2
Total survivors7
First aircraft

An ASA airlines Embraer 120RT Brasilia, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
TypeEmbraer 120RT Brasilia
OperatorAtlantic Southeast Airlines
RegistrationN217AS
Flight originNorthwest Alabama Regional Airport; Muscle Shoals, Alabama
StopoverNortheast Alabama Regional Airport; Gadsden, Alabama
DestinationHartsfield-Jackson International Airport; Atlanta, Georgia
Occupants7
Passengers4
Crew3
Survivors7
Second aircraft

A CAP Cessna 172, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
TypeCessna 172
OperatorCivil Air Patrol
RegistrationN99501
Flight originNortheast Alabama Regional Airport; Gadsden, Alabama
DestinationNortheast Alabama Regional Airport; Gadsden, Alabama
Occupants2
Passengers1
Crew1
Fatalities2

Aircraft

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254 was operated under 14 CFR 135 with an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (registration N217AS[3]).[2]

The second aircraft was a Cessna 172 (registration N99501[4]), operated by two Civil Air Patrol pilots.[2][5]

Accident

Flight 2254 departed Muscle Shoals, Alabama, en route to Atlanta with a scheduled intermediate stop at the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport in Gadsden, Alabama. The flight from Muscle Shoals to Gadsden was without incident.[1]

Flight 2254 departed Gadsden from Runway 24, with Captain William Query and First Officer Haynes at the controls. The aircraft turned left toward the east along its intended flight path to Atlanta, climbing toward an assigned altitude of 5,000 feet. The Cessna 172 was westbound at the same altitude, facing the setting sun. The two aircraft collided at approximately 6:05 p.m. Central Daylight Time.[2]:1

As a result of the head-on collision, Flight 2254's right horizontal stabilizer was torn from the aircraft. Though significantly damaged, Flight 2254 managed to return to the airport with no injuries to occupants. The Cessna 172 crashed into a field, resulting in fatal injuries to both occupants. The ASA crew reported afterward that they saw the Cessna moments before impact, and that the captain attempted evasive action by pushing the nose down, but was unable to avoid the collision. An eyewitness who saw the collision did not report any evasive maneuvers by either aircraft prior to the accident.[2]:1[6][5]

Probable cause

The probable cause of the crash was attributed by the NTSB to be “inadequate visual lookout by the pilots of both aircraft, which resulted in their failure to see and avoid oncoming traffic. A factor related to the accident was the sun's glare, which restricted the vision of the Cessna 172 pilot.”[2]

See also

Similar accidents between a scheduled commercial flight and a private aircraft in the immediate airport environment include:

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board.

  1. "Commuter Aircraft Collides with Cessna Plane, Two Dead". Daily News. Kingsport, Tennessee. April 11, 1990. p. 1.
  2. "Aviation Accident Final Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. March 5, 1993. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  3. "FAA Registry (N217AS)". Federal Aviation Administration.
  4. "FAA Registry (N99501)". Federal Aviation Administration.
  5. "Commuter Plane, Cessna in Air Collision". Spokane Chronicle. April 10, 1990.
  6. "Brief of Accident; N99501; April 9, 1990; NTSB ID ATL90FA095B". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
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