| - | ACCIDENT DETAILS |
| Date: | April 04, 1977 |
| Time: | 1619 |
| Location: | New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia |
| Operator: | Southern Airways |
| Flight #: | 242 |
| Route: | Huntsville - Atlanta |
| AC Type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
| Registration: | N1335U |
| cn / ln: | 47393/608 |
| Aboard: | 85 (passengers:81 crew:4) |
| Fatalities: | 62 (passengers:60 crew:2) |
| Ground: | 8 |
| Summary: | The aircraft sustained a broken windshield and loss of power to both engines after penetrating a thunderstorm and encountering hail. The pilots thought they were heading for a hole in the storm when in fact they were heading for the heaviest precipitation. The plane crash landed on a highway and exploded in flames. Total and unique loss of thrust from both engines while the aircraft was penetrating an area of severe thunderstorms with heavy precipitation and hail. The hail clogged bleeder valves in the engines causing multipe engine surges until the compressors tore apart. Contributing factor was the failure of the company's dispatcher to provide the flight crew with up-to-date severe weather information. |
Sources
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