- ACCIDENT DETAILS
Date: December 13, 1977
Time: 1922
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Operator: National Jet Services Inc., (Air Indiana)
Flight #: 216
Route: Evansville - Nashville
AC Type: Douglas DC-3
Registration: N51071
cn / ln: 4837
Aboard: 29   (passengers:26  crew:3)
Fatalities: 29   (passengers:26  crew:3)
Ground: 0
Summary: The plane crashed during takeoff in rain and fog. Killed, were the entire Evansville basketball team. The aileron on one wing and rudder remained locked upon takeoff, which made it extremely difficult to bank. An attempted takeoff with the rudder and right aileron control locks installed, in combination with a rearward center of gravity. Improperly loaded luggage which resulted in rearward center of gravity which resulted in the aircraft's rotating to a nose-high attitude immediately after takeoff and entering the region of reversed command from which the pilot was unable to recover.
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