What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, Pan Am Flight 759, a Boeing 727 operating as "Clipper Defiance", was preparing for departure from New Orleans International Airport. The aircraft was scheduled to travel from Miami to Las Vegas with an intermediate stop in New Orleans. During taxiing toward runway 10, the flightcrew received notifications regarding low-level windshear alerts across various quadrants of the airport due to a passing frontal system.
As the aircraft moved toward the active runway, ground control reported increasing winds and significant gusts. In response to these conditions, the captain instructed the crew to prepare for takeoff by adjusting engine settings, specifically deciding to deactivate the air conditioning packs to allow for higher engine thrust.
At approximately 16:06:22, the flight notified the tower of its readiness for departure and received takeoff clearance. The Boeing 727 began its takeoff roll at 16:07:57. Witnesses observed the aircraft lifting off roughly 7,000 feet down the runway. After reaching an altitude between 100 and 150 feet, the plane entered a descent toward nearby trees. The subsequent impact and following fire destroyed the aircraft and resulted in 8 fatalities on the ground.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the aircraft encountered a microburst-induced windshear during the takeoff and initial climb phase. This meteorological event created a downdraft combined with a loss of headwind, making it extremely difficult for the pilot to identify and correct the descent before hitting the trees. The accident was further compounded by the technological limitations of ground-based windshear detection systems available at the time, which were unable to provide sufficiently precise guidance to prevent the encounter.