Southern Airways Flight 242 News Reports | 4 April 1977 New Hope, Georgia

ATC Recording:
https://youtu.be/CaaHD6oo2HA?si=QPNDUYQ4Cjk265nK

Accident Description: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqnXavAvhXH/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Photos Archive:
https://x.com/aircrashdaily/status/1643237404231471104?s=19

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮𝟰𝟮 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Muscle Shoals to Atlanta with an intermediate stop in Huntsville. The flight was being operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (Reg. N1335U) on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟰, 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟳.

The plane departed Huntsville at 15:54. At 16:03:20, Flight 242 switched to a sector of Atlanta Center and reported being level at FL170. At 16:06, the plane entered an area of heavy hail or rain, which continued for at least 1 minute. At 16:09:15, Flight 242 reported to Atlanta Center, "we just got our windshield busted and... we'll try to get it back up to 15, we're 14." After reporting that the left engine had flamed out, the flight was cleared to descend to 13,000 feet. Meanwhile both engines' high-pressure compressors began to stall severely due to ingestion of massive quantities of water. At 16:10:05, the flight reported, "...the other engine's going too."

After establishing contact with Atlanta Approach Control the controller gave vectors for Cartersville. Unable to make it to Cartersville, the crew began looking for a clear field or highway for an emergency landing. At 16:18:02, Flight 242's last transmission to Approach Control was recorded: "... we're putting it on the highway, we're down to nothing." At 16:19, the plane executed a forced landing on Georgia State Route 381, striking road signs, utility poles, fences, trees, shrubs, gasoline pumps at a gas station-store, 5 automobiles, and a truck. 63 people on board the plane and 9 people on the ground were killed.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲:
"Total and unique loss of thrust from both engines while the aircraft was penetrating an area of severe thunderstorms. The loss of thrust was caused by the ingestion of massive amounts of water and hail which, in combination with thrust lever movement, induced severe stalling in and major damage to the engine compressors.
Major contributing factors include the failure of the company's dispatching system to provide the flight crew with up-to-date severe weather information pertaining to the aircraft's intended route of flight, the captain's reliance on airborne weather radar for penetration of thunderstorm areas, and limitations in the FAA's ATC system which precluded the timely dissemination of real-time hazardous weather information to the flight crew."

Видео Southern Airways Flight 242 News Reports | 4 April 1977 New Hope, Georgia канала Air Crash Daily