The Watershed Crash

The following is quoted from the NTSB report of a wake turbulence accident. It was this accident that led to the existing wake turbulence guidelines now being used by the FAA and ATC.

Editorial Staff

Monday, July 06, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A Delta DC-9 crashed on May 30, 1972, killing all four occupants, due to an encounter with wake turbulence from a preceding DC-10 during its final approach.
The DC-9 crew, although cautioned, lacked sufficient information to accurately evaluate the wake turbulence hazard or its location.
The investigation revealed that existing VFR flight procedures at the time did not provide adequate protection from wake vortex encounters.
This accident was a catalyst for the development of current FAA and ATC wake turbulence guidelines, based on eight NTSB recommendations.

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The following is quoted from the NTSB report of a wake turbulence accident. It was this accident that led to the existing wake turbulence guidelines now being used by the FAA and ATC.

A Delta Air Lines, Inc., DC-9-14 crashed while attempting a go-around following a landing approach to Runway 13 at Greater Southwest International Airport, Fort Worth, Texas, at 0724 central daylight time, May 30, 1972. Three Delta Air Lines pilots and one Federal Aviation Administration air carrier operations inspector, the only occupants of the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was demolished by fire and impact.