Merion air disaster

Last updated
Merion air disaster
DateApril 4, 1991 (1991-04-04)
Summary Mid-air collision due to pilot error on both aircraft
Site Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
40°00′06″N75°15′24″W / 40.0017°N 75.2568°W / 40.0017; -75.2568
Total fatalities7
Total injuries5
Total survivors0
First aircraft
N104RM 1980 Piper AEROSTAR 601P C-N 61P07568063375 (5406371767).jpg
Similar to the Aerostar involved
Type Piper Aerostar
Registration N3645D
Flight origin Williamsport Regional Airport
Destination Philadelphia International Airport
Passengers1
Crew2
Fatalities3
Survivors0
Second aircraft
Hokkaido Police Bell412EP DAISETSU2.JPG
A Bell 412EP type involved in accident
Type Bell 412
RegistrationN78S
Passengers0
Crew2
Fatalities2
Survivors0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities2
Ground injuries5 [1]

The Merion air disaster occurred in southeastern Pennsylvania on April 4, 1991, when a Piper Aerostar propeller-driven aircraft collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. All five people in both aircraft were killed, including United States Senator John Heinz, the sole passenger of the Piper. [2] Two schoolchildren on the ground were killed by falling debris. In addition to the seven total fatalities, five more people on the ground were injured. [1]

Contents

An investigation determined the cause of the accident to be poor judgment and pilot error of the crews from both aircraft. [1]

Background

John Heinz's aircraft departed from Williamsport Regional Airport (IPT) in central Pennsylvania on the morning of April 4, 1991, at about 10:22 a.m. EST. [1] Heinz was in Williamsport for a press conference pertaining to federal funding of U.S. Route 15. [3] Heinz rented the twin-engine Piper Aerostar from Lycoming Air, based at the Williamsport airport. Heinz and his two pilots, both from Lycoming County, departed for Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) slightly before 10:30 a.m.

Crash

As Heinz's aircraft made its approach to Philadelphia International Airport at approximately 12:01 p.m., the crew noticed that the nose landing gear "locked" indicator was not illuminated. [1] The crew began troubleshooting the problem and alerted air traffic control. Approximately three minutes later, the plane executed a low pass near the tower; the controller reported to the crew that the nose gear appeared to be extended. [1]

The crew of a passing Bell 412 helicopter, operated by Sun Company Inc. and headed to the company's headquarters in Radnor, Pennsylvania, offered to take a closer look to see if the gear was indeed down and locked. [1] They moved near the Aerostar for a better look, and the final transmission from the helicopter crew was to advise the Aerostar crew that "everything looks good from here." [1]

At 12:10 p.m., the two aircraft collided over Merion Elementary in Lower Merion, with the helicopter's rotor blades clipping the Aerostar from underneath. The helicopter spun out of control and the Aerostar dived to the ground, disintegrating on impact in the elementary school grounds. All five people on board both aircraft were killed, including Heinz. Two schoolgirls were killed and five others injured by the debris, which fell in a 250-yard (230 m) radius around the school and surrounding area. [4]

Investigation

A drawing from the NTSB report of September 17, 1991 Merion air disaster diagram.png
A drawing from the NTSB report of September 17, 1991

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation was opened almost immediately. [5] In September 1991, the NTSB's finding were announced. It was determined that the poor judgment of both flight crews caused the accident. [6] [7] [8]

The NTSB report stated that visual checks of the aircraft from the helicopter were pointless because it is virtually impossible to see into the nose-wheel well of an Aerostar to determine whether the nose gear is locked. [1] Further, with the nose gear physically in the down position, a more experienced pilot probably would have attempted a landing "accepting the possibility that the nose gear could collapse during the landing roll", as such a condition "does not generally result in a major accident or occupant injury." [1] Investigators cited a litany of mistakes and wrong decisions that led to the deaths and injuries. "This was a senseless accident that didn't have to happen," said James L. Kolstad, then-chairman of the NTSB. [9]

The accident caused a change in procedure at many airports, as helicopters were not to be used to inspect potential landing gear failures; aircraft should only fly a low pass near the airport for visual confirmation from services on the ground.[ citation needed ]

Aftermath

U.S. Senator John Heinz John Heinz.jpg
U.S. Senator John Heinz

Word of Heinz's death came from his Washington office. At midafternoon, sobbing members of his staff began walking out of his office in the Russell Senate Office Building. A few minutes later, the senator's legislative director, Richard Bryers, announced Heinz's death to reporters. [10]

News of Heinz's death at age 52 shocked fellow lawmakers:

The crash received multi-national attention, with reports appearing in multiple regions including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia. [14] [15] Flights over Merion Elementary School during school hours were informally banned for a period of time, and media avoided flying news or traffic helicopters over the school. [16]

Heinz's funeral was held in Pittsburgh, [17] and a memorial service in Washington was attended by President George H. W. Bush and Vice President Quayle. [18]

On the 25th anniversary of the crash, in 2016, most family members of the schoolchildren at Merion Elementary School declined to be interviewed, although one did comment, "No one could have stopped this from happening. It was an act of God." [16]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Aircraft Accident/Incident Summary" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. September 17, 1991 – via NTSB.gov.
  2. ↑ Duncombe, Ted (April 5, 1991). "Senator, six others killed in crash". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. p. 13.
  3. ↑ "Heinz' last stop was for road funding". Standard-Speaker . Hazleton, Pennsylvania. AP. April 5, 1991. p. 5. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ King, Larry (April 5, 1991). "Sen. John Heinz killed in plane crash in Philadelphia". The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. - Newer URL
  5. ↑ "Heinz crash probe begins". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. April 5, 1991. p. 1.
  6. ↑ Bowman, Lee (September 17, 1991). "Poor judgment of crews blamed in Heinz death". Pittsburgh Press. p. A1.
  7. ↑ Cushman, John H. Jr. (September 18, 1991). "Bad moves by 2 pilots blamed in Heinz crash". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "Crash blamed on poor judgment". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). wire reports. September 18, 1991. p. A3.
  9. ↑ "Pilots blamed for crash that killed Heinz, 6 others". The Des Moines Register . The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 18, 1991. p. 3. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Weisensee, Nicole (April 5, 1991). "Capitol Hill staffers grapple with reality of their boss's death". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pennsylvania. States News Service. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Air crash kills Sen Heinz, 6 others". The Arizona Republic . Republic Wire Services. April 5, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com. - Clipping of the first page, on page 1
  12. ↑ "Senator, 6 others killed in crash". St. Petersburg Times . April 5, 1991. p. 3. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Tumulty, Karen; Houston, Paul (April 5, 1991). "Sen. Heinz, Six Other Die as Plane, Copter Collide, Crash in Schoolyard". Los Angeles Times . p. A37. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com. - HTML copy
  14. ↑ Ball, Ian (April 5, 1991). "Crash kills Heinz heir". The Daily Telegraph . London. p. 12. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "US senator killed". The Age . Melbourne. AP. April 6, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 Pirro, J. F. (April 11, 2016). "Remembering the John Heinz Tragedy, Twenty-Five Years Later". Main Line Today.
  17. ↑ "Coverage of Heinz funeral set". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 10, 1991. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Bush, Quayle go to Heinz funeral". The Press-Courier. April 13, 1991. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
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