Runway excursion and post-crash fire involving aircraft during takeoff

No fatalities • Houston-Executive (Brookshire), United States of America • Takeoff (climb)

An aircraft failed to rotate during its takeoff roll, leading to a runway overrun, collision with airport perimeter structures, and a subsequent fire.

What happened

During the takeoff roll, the aircraft accelerated as expected, with the flight crew performing standard callouts for V1 and rotation. However, as the captain attempted to pull back on the control column to initiate rotation, the controls failed to respond. The pilot reported that the control column felt frozen and immobile. Both the pilot flying and the first officer attempted to manually pull back on the controls, but the aircraft failed to rotate.

Following the lack of response from the flight controls, the first officer called for an aborted takeoff. The crew reduced thrust to idle, applied the brakes, and deployed the thrust reversers. Despite these efforts, the aircraft overran the departure end of the runway. The plane proceeded through the airport's perimeter fence and across a nearby road, eventually striking trees and electrical distribution lines. The sequence ended in a pasture, where a fire broke out following the impact.

All passengers and the four crewmembers successfully evacuated the aircraft. The incident resulted in two serious injuries and one minor injury. The aircraft was destroyed by the fire.

Findings

Post-accident interviews and cockpit voice recorder data indicate that the primary issue occurred during the rotation phase, where the flight controls became unresponsive to the pilots' inputs.

Probable cause

The aircraft failed to rotate during takeoff due to the flight controls becoming unresponsive or frozen.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2021-10-19 McDonnell Douglas MD-87 accident near Houston-Executive (Brookshire), United States of America?

An aircraft failed to rotate during its takeoff roll, leading to a runway overrun, collision with airport perimeter structures, and a subsequent fire.

Were there any fatalities in the 2021-10-19 McDonnell Douglas MD-87 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2021-10-19 involved a McDonnell Douglas MD-87, registration N987AK, operated by 987 Investments, at Houston-Executive (Brookshire), United States of America.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft failed to rotate during takeoff due to the flight controls becoming unresponsive or frozen.

Loading the flight search…