Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, February 21, 1986
On February 21, 1986 at about 1:59 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31, registered N961VJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania (Erie Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 22 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 1986 · about 1:59 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Pennsylvania · Erie Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 22 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N961VJ · registry record · serial 47506
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, THE CREW OF US AIR FLT 499 LNDD ON RWY 24, WHICH WAS CVRD WITH SNW. RPRTDLY, WHILE LNDG, THE ACFT TOUCHED DWN APRX 1800 TO 2000' BYND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. ALTHO ARMED, THE SPOILERS DID NOT AUTO-DEPLOY, SO THE CAPT OPERATEDTHEM MANUALLY. HE LOWERED THE ACFT'S NOSE, ACTUATED REVERSE THRUST & APPLIED BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE END OF THE RWY, RAN OVR A RWY END ID LGT, STRUCK A FENCE & CAME TO REST STRADDLING A ROAD. THE CREW HAD PLANNED ON MAKING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 6, BUT THE RVR WAS ONLY 2800' & A MIN RVR OF 4000' WAS REQD FOR THAT RWY. THE CREW ELECTED TO LND ON RWY 24, SINCE 1/2 MI VIS WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THAT RWY. HOWEVER, THE APCH WAS MADE WITH A QTRG TAIL WND & APRX 10 KTS ABV VREF. TAIL WND LNDGS WERE NOT AUTHORIZED ON RWY 24 IN WET/SLIPPERY CONDS. THE RWY BRAKING ACTION WAS RPRTD AS FAIR-TO-POOR. THE PLT'S HANDBOOK CAUTIONED THE CREW TO MONITOR THE SPOILERS WHEN LNDG ON SLIPPERY RWYS, SINCE THE SPOILERS AUTO-DEPLOY ONLY WITH WHEEL SPIN-UP OR WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL IS ON THE GROUND.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,900 hours in all; 5,900 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42,104 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 1986; 326 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 105,000 lb
- Seats: 110
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YYZ Toronto,Canada OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 12 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 17 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA86AA018.