Investigation Summary
The flight was operating as a training/qualification flight for Captain William O'Neill, with Captain Daniel Teelin acting as a check captain. Despite the presence of a thunderstorm west of the airport, the crew requested and was cleared for a visual approach to Runway 18. As they turned toward the final approach path, the aircraft entered a region of heavy precipitation. The crew's attention was likely divided between searching for the runway and managing the aircraft in turbulent conditions. The Boeing 727 descended at a rate of 2,100 feet per minute; while it was 5 miles out it was already 300 feet below its intended altitude, and it descended below the airport's field elevation approximately 3 miles north of the runway threshold. The investigation highlighted that the drum-type altimeters used at the time could be difficult to read quickly, and the lights of houses in the valley below the airport may have created a visual illusion of the runway environment.
Final Conclusions
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) determined the probable cause was the failure of the crew to properly monitor their altimeters during a visual approach into deteriorating visibility conditions. The aircraft was fully functional, and the descent was a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) caused by a lack of altitude awareness.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Below The Slope | American Airlines Flight 383 — A detailed look at the 1965 crash of American Airlines Flight 383, examining how a visual approach in a thunderstorm led to a fatal descent into the Ohio River valley.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
William J. O'Neill; qualifying on the 727.
Check Captain
Daniel Teelin; acting as Pilot-in-Command/Check Pilot.
Systems & Failure Modes
Drum-type Altimeter
A mechanical altimeter that used a rotating drum to show altitude; investigators noted it could be misread during rapid descents or when passing through zero relative to airport elevation.
Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
Recovered from the wreckage, it provided critical data showing the aircraft's 2,100 fpm descent rate in the final minute.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a nearly new Boeing 727, delivered only four months prior to the accident.
- 02The crash site was located on a wooded slope in the Ohio River valley, approximately 3 miles north of the runway.
- 03The four survivors were deadheading Captain Elmer Weekly, flight attendant Toni Ketchell, and passengers Israel Horowitz and an unnamed passenger.
- 04The aircraft was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which was not yet mandatory; transcripts from the era refer to radio communications.
- 05Two years later, TWA Flight 128 crashed on the same hill under similar poor visibility conditions.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Altimeter Design Review
The accident contributed to ongoing industry discussions regarding the readability of drum-pointer altimeters and the potential for 'misreading by 1,000 feet' errors.
Visual Approach Procedures
The crash highlighted the dangers of continuing visual approaches into rapidly deteriorating weather, leading to stricter adherence to instrument procedures in low visibility.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
American Airlines vs. FAA/Weather Bureau
Reference ↗American Airlines sued the government, alleging that air traffic controllers and meteorologists failed to provide adequate weather warnings and that a downdraft caused the crash. A jury rejected these claims, finding the airline liable.