_JP6994442.jpg) A TWA Boeing 707-131; sister ship to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 6, 1967 |
| Summary | Takeoff abort with landing overshoot |
| Site | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Hebron, Kentucky 39°03′N 84°40′W / 39.050°N 84.667°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 707-131 |
| Operator | Trans World Airlines (TWA) |
| Registration | N742TW |
| Flight origin | John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York |
| Stopover | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Erlanger, Kentucky |
| Destination | Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California |
| Occupants | 36 |
| Passengers | 29 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 10 |
| Survivors | 35 |
Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 159 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from New York City to Los Angeles, California, with a stopover in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Kentucky, that crashed after an aborted takeoff from Cincinnati on November 6, 1967. The Boeing 707 attempted to abort takeoff when the copilot became concerned that the aircraft had collided with a disabled DC-9 on the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, struck an embankment and caught fire. One passenger died as a result of the accident.
The NTSB concluded that the crash occurred due to the TWA flight crew's inability to successfully abort takeoff due to the speed of the aircraft, and that a runway overrun was unavoidable at the 707's speed. The disabled DC-9, a Delta Air Lines flight which had reported that it had cleared the runway when in fact it had not, was a contributing factor in the crash. The NTSB recommended that the FAA establish and publicize standards of safe clearance from runway edges for both aircraft and ground vehicles which also take into account the exhaust fumes of jet engines. The board also recommended a reevaluation of training manuals and aircraft procedures in regard to abort procedures.