52 Years ago today: On 14 November 1970 a Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 struck a hill while approaching Huntington, killing all 75 on board.
| Date: | Saturday 14 November 1970 |
| Time: | 19:36 |
| Type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
| Operator: | Southern Airways |
| Registration: | N97S |
| MSN: | 47245/510 |
| First flight: | 1969 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3667 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 71 / Occupants: 71 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 75 / Occupants: 75 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 1,6 km (1 mls) W of Huntington, WV ( |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Kinston-Stallings Field, NC (ISO/KISO), United States of America |
| Destination airport: | Huntington-Tri-State Airport, WV (HTS/KHTS), United States of America |
| Flightnumber: | 932 |
Narrative:
Southern Airlines Flight 932 departed Kinston, NC at 18:38 to return members of the Marshall University football team, coaching staff and other passengers to Huntington. After an uneventful flight, the crew contacted Huntington Approach Control at 19:23. The controller later cleared them for a runway 11 localizer approach. At 19:34 the flight passed the Outer Marker and they cleared to land. In weather conditions of mist and light rain with low clouds (scattered clouds at 300 feet, broken overcast at 500 feet solid overcast at 1000 feet), the aircraft descended below MDA and struck trees on a hill, approx. 1 mile short of the runway. The aircraft then crashed and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: “The descent below Minimum Descent Altitude during a non precision approach under adverse weather conditions, without visual contact with the runway environment. The Board has been unable to determine the reason for this descent, although the two most likely explanations are: a) improper use of cockpit instrument data; or b) an altimetry system error.”
