What happened
On the evening of February 16, 2000, an Emery Worldwide Airlines cargo flight, operating as flight 17, experienced a critical emergency shortly after departing Sacramento Mather Airport (MHR) in Rancho Cordova, California. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F registered as N8079U, was traveling under instrument flight rules toward Dayton, Ohio.
Shortly after its 19:49 departure, the crew initiated an attempt to return to MHR to perform an emergency landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft impacted an automobile salvage yard located near the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the plane and the deaths of all three crew members, which included the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the flight was operating under night visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft was performing a scheduled cargo operation under 14 CFR Part 121 regulations.