What happened
During a visual approach to runway 21R, the flight was cleared for landing at approximately 14:30. While descending at an altitude of roughly 60 to 70 feet, the aircraft type experienced a sudden and violent yaw to the left, followed by a steep bank of 80 to 90 degrees. This maneuver resulted in a descent that led the aircraft to impact the ramp area, situated 1,010 feet beyond and to the left of the runway 21R threshold.
Following the initial impact, the aircraft skidded for 398 feet before colliding with three ground support vehicles positioned near Gate F10 at Concourse F. The collision resulted in a post-crash fire. The accident resulted in 9 fatalities (comprising both pilots and seven passengers) and 10 injuries to other occupants.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft while attempting to recover from an asymmetric power condition. This occurred at low speeds following the intentional use of beta mode propeller operation, which was used in an effort to rapidly decrease speed and altitude during the final approach.
Several contributing elements were identified, including an unstabilized visual approach and the presence of a departing DC-9 on the runway. The pilot's objective to achieve a short field landing and the higher than typical flight idle fuel flow settings in both engines also played roles. Additionally, the severity of injuries was exacerbated by the absence of fire-blocking material within the passenger seat cushions.