ATL89MA023

Factual narrative

DRG WEST ARR AT NGT, PLT WAS VCTRD FOR A VFR, STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 2R & ADZD OF BOEING 727 OFF HIS RGT FRONT, PASSINGFM RGT TO LEFT. HE WAS CAUTIONED ABT WAKE TURBC (W/T) & REPLIED, 'OKAY I SEE HIM.' CTLR THEN TOLD PLT TO TURN INBND & MAINT 'VISUAL' WITH THE 727. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, THEN WAS CLRD TO TWR FREQ. AT 1928:04, HE WAS CLRD TO LND ON RWY 2R, BUT WASN'T GIVEN WND INFO (NOR DID HE RPRT RCVG ATIS INFO). WND WAS FM 250 DEG AT 5 KTS, WHICH WOULD HAVE DRIFTED W/T FM RWY2L TWD RWY 2R. AT 1928:39, PLT RPRTD W/T ENCTR, BUT HE CONTD INBND. ABT 39 SEC LTR, RADAR CTC WAS LOST & N3822Y CRASHED IN STEEP DSCNT ABT 1 MI FM RWY 2L. TWR PSNL DIDN'T SEE OR REALIZE IT HAD CRASHED. RADAR DATA SHOWED 727 MADE STRAIGHT DSCNT TO RWY 2L; N3822Y APCHD ABT 2 MI BHND THE 727 & BLO ITS APCH PATH. AT ABT 1100' AGL, AS IT CONVERGED APRX 200' BLOTHE 727'S APCH PATH, AN ABRUPT ALT DEV (DSCNT) OCCURRED. DSCNT WAS ARRESTED, BUT N3822Y CONTD INBND & CONVERGED AGAIN TOABT 200' BLO 727 FLT PATH (300' AGL), THEN RADAR CTC LOST. RWY CTRLNS, 1650' APART; 2L STAGGERED 1800' BYD 2R THRESHOLD. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12