Incident Overview
Eastern Flight 573 was on approach to runway 16 after contacting approach control at 2323 CST. The controller advised the crew that the ILS glide slope had gone into alarm, though the localizer appeared normal. Winds shifted to 310° at 7 knots at 2333. The back course approach to runway 34 was not operational, so the crew continued toward runway 16 with 50° of flaps.
Approach and Landing
At 2334, the crew informed the controller that if the glide slope was not restored, they would execute a localizer approach. They reported receiving the glide slope signal, but the controller confirmed the alarm remained active. The aircraft broke out of clouds in rain at 900 feet, with light turbulence on final approach. About one mile from the runway, the first officer noted the aircraft was high and alerted the captain. The captain responded by pushing the nose over and reducing power, increasing speed and rate of descent. Required altitude callouts were not made. The first officer advised the captain to flare, but the flare was insufficient.
Aftermath
The aircraft contacted the runway hard, causing the fuselage to fail between stations 813 and 756. The airplane stopped with the tail resting on the runway. During evacuation, four passengers received minor injuries. A weather study indicated a moderate to strong echo (VIP level 2 to 3) over the approach end of runway 16.
Investigation Findings
The probable cause of the accident was the captain's failure to maintain a proper descent rate on final approach or to execute a missed approach, which caused the airplane to contact the runway with a sink rate exceeding the airplane's design limitations. Contributing to the cause was the failure of the captain and first officer to make required altitude callouts and to properly monitor flight instruments during the approach.