On June 23, 1973, Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines, Inc., Flight 509, a scheduled passenger and cargo flight, was involved in a landing accident after an instrument landing approach to runway 31R at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York. Of the 119 passengers and nine crewmembers aboard the flight, six passengers and two stewardesses were injured seriously; there were no fatalities. The aircraft was damaged substantially. When the aircraft was about 40 feet above the runway, the ground spoilers were inadvertently deployed. The aircraft descended rapidly and hit the ground, tail-first, 20 feet short of the displaced runway threshold. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the first officer's inadvertent deployment of the ground spoilers in flight while he was attempting to arm the spoiler system.
Aircraft Accident Report. Loftleidir Icelandic Airlines, Inc. Douglas DC-8-61, John F. Kennedy International Airport Jamaica, New York, June 23, 1973
1973
34 pages
Report
No indication
English