Casualties unknown

2004-08-31: Boeing 727-2M7 (N742RW) — Custom Air Transport Inc — EL Paso, TX

EL Paso, TX, US

On August 31, 2004, a Boeing 727-2M7 (registration N742RW) operated by Custom Air Transport Inc was involved in an aviation accident near EL Paso, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The first officer's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were the captain's delayed remedial action and the crosswind. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N742RW
Aircraft registered N742RW. Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

During approach and landing, the right wing dragged the runway; after corrections and a bounce, the captain took over and landed safely. Wind from 140° at 7 knots.

Approach and Initial Touchdown

The first officer, who had accumulated 950 hours of flight experience, was controlling the airplane during the approach and initial touchdown on runway 4. Runway 4 is an asphalt runway measuring 12,010 feet in length and 150 feet in width.

Right Wing Drag

While the airplane was on a heading of 050 degrees and in a 19-degree right wingtip low bank angle, the right wing dragged the runway.

Corrective Actions and Bounce

A left correction was initiated, causing the airplane to roll to a left wing low angle of 13 degrees and overshoot the runway centerline to the left. During a subsequent correction back to the right, the airplane bounced "hard" as the main landing gear touched down on the runway 2,150 feet beyond the point where the right wing had dragged the ground.

Captain Takes Over

The captain, who had 5,000 hours of flight experience, then took over the controls and completed a "safe" landing.

Wind Conditions

The wind at the time of the accident was from 140 degrees at 07 knots.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20040902X01347. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.