Investigation Summary
The flight was a routine short hop from Charleston to Charlotte. During the descent and approach phases, the Captain and First Officer engaged in extensive, non-pertinent discussions regarding politics, used cars, and the Carowinds amusement park tower. This idle chatter distracted the crew from monitoring their flight instruments and performing required altitude callouts. As they approached the Ross Intersection (the final approach fix), the crew became preoccupied with visually identifying the Carowinds Tower through patchy ground fog. Consequently, they failed to notice that the aircraft had descended nearly 450 feet below the prescribed crossing altitude of 1,800 feet. Despite a terrain warning alert sounding at 1,000 feet above ground level, the crew did not take corrective action to arrest the descent until it was too late. The aircraft struck trees and a cornfield in a ravine, breaking into three main sections and erupting in flames.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause was the flight crew's lack of altitude awareness at critical points during the approach due to poor cockpit discipline. The crew failed to follow prescribed procedures, including mandatory altitude callouts and instrument cross-checks. The investigation also noted that the crew's attempt to visually locate the Carowinds Tower served as a significant distraction. The crash is cited as the primary catalyst for the FAA's 'Sterile Cockpit Rule' (FAR 121.542), which prohibits non-essential conversation and activities during critical phases of flight below 10,000 feet.
Video Analysis
9/11/74: The Untold Story of Eastern Flight 212 — A documentary covering the events of September 11, 1974, when an Eastern Air Lines DC-9 crashed short of Charlotte, leading to major changes in aviation safety regulations.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
James E. Reeves, age 49.
First Officer
James M. Daniels Jr., age 36. Survived the crash.
Systems & Failure Modes
Terrain Warning System
A radio altimeter-based system that provided an aural tone when the aircraft descended below 1,000 feet AGL; the crew silenced the warning without correcting the flight path.
Altitude Alert System
A system designed to alert the crew when approaching or deviating from a pre-set altitude; tones were recorded on the CVR but ignored by the crew.
VOR/DME
The primary navigation system used for the approach, which required the crew to cross specific fixes at designated altitudes.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash site was located 3.3 statute miles short of the threshold of runway 36.
- 02The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 manufactured in 1969.
- 03Among the fatalities were the father and two brothers of comedian Stephen Colbert.
- 04The First Officer, James Daniels Jr., was the pilot flying at the time of the accident.
- 05The aircraft impacted at a descent angle of 4.5 degrees and a bank of 5.5 degrees left wing down.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Sterile Cockpit Rule
Source ↗The FAA established FAR 121.542, prohibiting flight crews from engaging in non-essential activities or conversation during critical phases of flight, typically below 10,000 feet.
Altitude Awareness Training
The NTSB recommended that the FAA initiate ways to improve professional standards and altitude awareness among pilots following a series of approach accidents.