What happened
On the night of the accident, a Delta Air Lines DC-8-51, registered N802E, was conducting a training mission. The flight was intended to provide instruction for a captain trainee and a flight engineer trainee, while also serving as a proficiency check for a flight engineer instructor. Prior to departure, weather reports indicated that visibility might decrease due to fog and smoke, but no other significant weather was noted.
The aircraft departed the ramp at 00:40 with the trainee captain in the left seat and the check captain in the right seat. After takeoff, the crew requested to circle before landing on runway 1, a request that was granted by the tower controller. The flight was performing a simulated two-engine failure approach, which involved a full-stop landing followed by a subsequent takeoff from runway 19.
During the final approach for runway 01, the aircraft entered a shallow left turn. As the plane progressed toward the runway, the bank angle increased significantly, reaching approximately 60 degrees or more. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck power lines roughly 2,300 feet short and 1,100 feet west of the runway threshold. The impact caused the aircraft to crash into a residential neighborhood and the Hilton hotel complex.
The collision resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and led to the deaths of all six crew members and 13 people on the ground, including hotel guests and staff. Additionally, 18 people sustained injuries, some of which were serious. The wreckage was consumed by a post-crash fire.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by improper use of flight and power controls by both the instructor and the trainee captain during the simulated engine-out approach, compounded by inadequate supervision from the instructor.