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| − | {{Infobox Aircraft accident
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| − | |name = Allegheny Airlines Flight 853
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| − | |date = [[September 9]], [[1969]]
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| − | |type = [[Mid-air collision]]
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| − | |site = [[Fairland, Indiana]]
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| − | |total_fatalities = 83
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| − | |total_survivors = 0
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| − | |plane1_image = Douglas DC-9-30 Allegheny N993VJ.png
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| − | |plane1_caption = An Allegheny Airlines DC-9-30, [[Circa|c.]]1970
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| − | |plane1_type = [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31]]
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| − | |plane1_operator = [[Allegheny Airlines]]
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| − | |plane1_tailnum = {{airreg|N|988VJ|disaster}}
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| − | |plane1_origin = [[Logan International Airport|Boston Logan Airport]]
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| − | |plane1_destination = [[Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport|Friendship Int'l Airport]]
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| − | |plane1_passengers = 78
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| − | |plane1_crew = 4
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| − | |plane1_survivors = 0
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| − | |plane2_type = [[Piper Cherokee|Piper PA-28]]
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| − | |plane2_operator = Private
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| − | |plane2_tailnum = N7374J
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| − | |plane2_origin =
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| − | |plane2_destination =
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| − | |plane2_passengers = 0
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| − | |plane2_crew = 1
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| − | |plane2_survivors = 0
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| − | }}
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| − | '''[[Allegheny Airlines]] Flight 853''', a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30]], [[Mid-air collision|collided in mid-air]] with a [[Piper Cherokee|Piper PA-28]] at approximately 3,550 feet on [[September 9]], [[1969]], near [[Fairland, Indiana]]. The DC-9 carried 78 passengers and 4 crew. The Piper was leased to a [[Pilot certification in the United_States#Student|student pilot]] making a solo cross-country flight. The occupants of both aircraft were killed in the accident and the aircraft were destroyed by the collision and ground impact.<ref name="ntsb">[http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR70-15.pdf NTSB Report (PDF)]</ref>
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| − | <div style="overflow:auto;height:1px;">
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| − | [[Date:=1969-09-09]]
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| − | [[Aircraft_Type:=DC-9]]
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| − | [[Airline:=Allegheny Airlines]]
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| − | [[Airline_Code:=ALO]]
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| − | [[State_Code:=IN]]
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| − | [[Airport_Code:=IND]]
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| − | [[Accident_Cause:=Air traffic]]
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| − | [[Miles_Traveled:=90]]
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| − | [[Fatalities:=82]]
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| − | [[Survivors:=0]]
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| − | </div>
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| − | == Flight history ==
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| − | Allegheny 853 (N988VJ), a DC-9-30, was a regularly scheduled flight departing [[Boston, Massachusetts]], for [[St. Louis, Missouri]], with stops in [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]] and [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]]. The flight departed Cincinnati at 3:15pm enroute to Indianapolis. Allegheny 853, flying under [[IFR|Instrument Flight Rules]] (IFR) clearance to Indianapolis, was instructed by
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| − | Indianapolis [[Approach Control]] to descend to 2500 feet after passing the Shelbyville [[VHF omnidirectional range|VOR]] at 6000 feet. The flight was then vectored to a 280 degree heading. Meanwhile, the PA-28 (N7374J) was on a southeasterly heading operating under a filed [[VFR|Visual Flight Rules]] (VFR) flight plan which indicated a cruising altitude of 3500 feet. The PA-28 was not in communication with Air Traffic Control, was not [[Transponder#Aviation| transponder]] equipped,<ref name=tmag>[http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,901473,00.html "Death in the Skies" - ''Time'' magazine article]</ref> and there was no evidence it appeared as a primary radar target on the radarscope.
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| − |
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| − | == Witness reports ==
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| − | Eight witnesses saw the aircraft collide. They reported broken to scattered cloud cover in the area, but both aircraft were below the clouds and could be seen clearly at the time of the collision. According to the witnesses, neither aircraft attempted a collision avoidance maneuver. Wreckage analysis later concluded the PA-28's left forward side just forward of the left wing root clipped the DC-9's upper right vertical tail just below the horizontal stabilizer.
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| − | == Probable cause ==
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| − | The [[NTSB|National Transportation Safety Board]] in a report adopted [[July 15]], [[1970]], released the following Probable Cause:<ref name="ntsb"/>
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| − | <blockquote>The Board determines the probable cause of this accident to be the deficiencies in the collision avoidance capability of the [[Air Traffic Control]] system of the [[FAA|Federal Aviation Administration]] in a [[Terminal Control Center|terminal area]] wherein there was mixed [[IFR|Instrument Flight Rules]] (IFR) and [[VFR|Visual Flight Rules]] (VFR) traffic. The deficiencies included the inadequacy of the see-and-avoid concept under the circumstances of this case; the technical limitations of radar in detecting all aircraft; and the absence of [[Federal Aviation Regulations]] which would provide a system of adequate separation of mixed VFR and IFR traffic in terminal areas.</blockquote>
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| − | == Subsequent improvements ==
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| − | After this and similar mid-air collisions or near collisions, both the NTSB and FAA realized the inherent limitations of the "see and be seen" principle of air traffic separation in [[visual meteorological conditions]], especially when aircraft of dissimilar speeds or cloud layers and other restrictions to visibility are involved.<ref name="ntsb"/> The following mitigating steps have since been taken:
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| − | #[[Transponders#Aviation|Transponders]] are now installed in most [[general aviation]] aircraft<ref name=faa1>[http://www.faa.gov/data_statistics/aviation_data_statistics/general_aviation/CY2004/ FAA Statistics, 2005]</ref> and all commercial/air-carrier aircraft, dramatically increasing [[radar]] visibility of lower and slower flying smaller aircraft, especially near atmospheric disturbances or other clutter (see [[Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System]] and [[Secondary Surveillance Radar]])
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| − | #Most airports with scheduled airline service now have a surrounding controlled [[Airspace classes|airspace]] ([[ICAO]] designation [[Class B airport|Class B]] or [[Airspace classes|Class C]]) for improved [[IFR]]/[[VFR]] traffic separation - all aircraft must be transponder equipped and specifically cleared by and in communication with [[Air traffic control|ATC]] to operate within this controlled airspace<ref name=faa2>[http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet FAA Federal Aviation Regulations]</ref>
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| − | #Most commercial/air-carrier aircraft (and some general aviation) now have an [[Airborne Collision Avoidance System|airborne collision avoidance]] or [[Traffic Collision Avoidance System|TCAS]] device on board, that can detect and warn about nearby transponder-equipped traffic<ref name="faa1"/>
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| − | #ATC radar systems now have "[[Short term conflict alert|conflict alert]]" - automated ground based collision avoidance [[software]] that sounds an alarm when aircraft come within less than a minimum safe separation distance<ref name="ntsb2">[http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2003/A03_17.pdf NTSB Conflict Alert Safety Recommendation, 2003]</ref>
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| − | == See also ==
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| − | * [[List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft]]
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| − | * [[PSA Flight 182]]
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| − | * [[Aeroméxico Flight 498]]
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| − | == References ==
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| − | {{reflist}}
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| − | == External links ==
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| − | *[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19690909-1&lang=en Aviation Safety Network Summary Report]
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| − | *[http://www.mcglaun.com From www.mcglaun.com site:]
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| − | :*[http://www.mcglaun.com/1969.htm Allegheny 853 Memorial]
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| − | :*[http://www.mcglaun.com/69story.htm "The Story of Flight 853"]
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| − | :*[http://www.mcglaun.com/1969pics.htm Accident Related Photos:]
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| − | ::*[http://www.mcglaun.com/1969/allegheny853-2.jpg Pre-Accident (Postcard) Photo of DC-9 N988VJ]
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| − | ::*[http://www.mcglaun.com/7374J.gif Pre-Accident Photo of PA-28 N7374J]
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| − | :*[http://www.mcglaun.com/diag1.htm Animation of Collision Sequence]
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| − | *[http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:YOGdHXx61sMJ:www.jurisearch.com/newroot/caselink.asp%3Fseries%3DF.2d%26citationno%3D504%2BF.2d%2B104&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5 Denied Appeal of Lawsuit Filed by Allegheny against United States of America et al. in 1974]
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| − | {{coor title dms|39|37|02|N|85|55|14|W|region:US-IN_type:landmark_scale:20000|ref=<ref name="pics">{{cite web |title=Allegheny 853 Crash Site Pictures |work=www.mcglaun.com |url=http://www.mcglaun.com/1969pics.htm |author=McGlaun, Dan |accessdate=2008-01-27}}</ref>}}
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| − | [[Category:1969 in the United States]]
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| − | [[Category:Accidents and incidents on commercial airliners in the United States]]
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| − | [[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1969]]
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| − | [[Category:Mid-air collisions]]
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| − | [[Category:Disasters in Indiana]]
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