Douglas DC-9-31 accident near Charlotte, North Carolina, July 2, 1994
On July 2, 1994 at about 10:43 pm local time, a Douglas DC-9-31, registered N954VJ, was destroyed in an accident near Charlotte, North Carolina (Charlotte/Douglas Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 37 people were killed, 16 people were seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
1) THE FLIGHTCREW'S DECISION TO CONTINUE AN APPROACH INTO SEVERE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THAT WAS CONDUCIVE TO A MICROBURST; 2) THE FLIGHTCREW'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE A WINDSHEAR SITUATION IN A TIMELY MANNER; 3)THE FLIGHTCREW'S FAILURE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THE PROPER AIRPLANE ATTITUDE AND THRUST SETTING NECESSARY TO ESCAPE THE WINDSHEAR; AND 4) THE LACK OF REAL-TIME ADVERSE WEATHER AND WINDSHEAR HAZARD INFORMATION DISSEMINATION FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, ALL OF WHICH LED TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH AND THE FAILURE TO ESCAPE FROM A MICROBURST-INDUCED WINDSHEAR THAT WAS PRODUCED BY A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM LOCATED AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18R. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE LACK OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE CONTROLLER TO DISPLAY AND ISSUE AIRPORT SURVEILLANCE RADAR (ASR-9) WEATHER INFORMATION TO THE PILOTS OF FLIGHT 1016; 2) THE CHARLOTTE TOWER SUPERVISOR'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY ADVISE AND ENSURE THAT ALL CONTROLLERS WERE AWARE OF AND REPORTING THE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY AND RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE VALUE INFORMATION, AND THE LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR ALERTS THAT HAD OCCURRED IN MULTIPLE QUADRANTS; 3) THE INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTIONS BY USAIR TO ENSURE ADHERENCE TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES; AND 4) THE INADEQUATE SOFTWARE LOGIC IN THE AIRPLANE'S WINDSHEAR WARNING SYSTEM THAT DID NOT PROVIDE AN ALERT UPON ENTRY INTO THE WINDSHEAR. (NTSB REPORT AAR-95/03)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1994 · about 10:43 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, North Carolina · Charlotte/Douglas Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 37 people were killed, 16 people were seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-9-31 · all DC-9-31s on the register
- Registration
- N954VJ · no longer on the register · serial 47590
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND A PRIVATE RESIDENCE SHORTLY AFTER THE FLIGHTCREW EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH FROM THE RWY 18R ILS. FLIGHTCREW WAS NOT PROVIDED UPDATED WX INFO IN ATIS;WX REFLECTED THUNDERSTORM & RAINSHOWER. TERMINAL DOPPLER WX RADAR NOT INSTALLED AT ARPT AS SCHEDULED; WOULD HAVE PROVIDED CONTROLLERS WITH INFO ABOUT SEVERITY OF WX, AND INFO WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL TO FLIGHTCREW. INADEQ ATC PROCEDURES, BREAKDOWN IN COMM IN TOWER, PREVENTED FLIGHTCREW FROM RECEIVING ADDITIONAL CRITICAL INFO ABOUT ADVERSE WX OVER ARPT & ALONG APPROACH PATH. FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR OF 61 KTS OVER A 15 SEC PERIOD. INADEQ COMPUTER SOFTWARE DESIGN IN THE AIRPLANE'S ON-BOARD WINDSHEAR DETECTION SYSTEM PREVENTED FLIGHTCREW FROM RECEIVING MORE TIMELY WINDSHEAR ALERT. 1ST OFFICER INITIALLY ROTATED TO PROPER 15 DEG NOSE-UP ATTITUDE DURING MISSED APPROACH. HOWEVER, THRUST WAS SET BELOW STANDARD GO-AROUND EPR LIMIT OF 1.93, PITCH ATTITUDE REDUCED TO 5 DEG NOSE DOWN BEFORE FLIGHTCREW RECOGNIZED DANGEROUS SITUATION. FAA'S POI, USAIR'S MANAGEMENT, WERE AWARE OF INCONSISTENCIES IN FLIGHTCREW ADHERENCE TO OPERATING PROCEDURES WITHIN THE AIRLINE; HOWEVER, CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAD NOT RESOLVED THIS PROBLEM.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,065 hours in all; 1,970 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,917 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 105,000 lb
- Seats: 103
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D-7 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CAE Columbia SC at 10:23 pm
- Destination: CLT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:36 pm from CLT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 3 | ||
| Passengers | 37 | 14 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.