NTSB Factual Report

On August 30, 2004, approximately 1905 mountain daylight time, a Boeing 727-2M7 transport category airplane, N742RW, was substantially damaged when the right wing dragged the runway while landing at El Paso International Airport (ELP), El Paso, Texas. The airline transport rated captain, first officer and flight engineer were not injured. The airplane was owned by ART 21952 LLC, San Francisco, California, and operated by Custom Air Transport Incorporated, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 cargo flight. The flight originated from the Chihuahua International Airport, Chihuahua, Mexico, at 1800 mountain daylight time, destined for El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas.

The 5,000-hour captain, of which 100 hours were in the same make and model of airplane, reported the 950-hour first officer, of which 650 hours were in make and model, was at the controls during the approach and initial touchdown of the airplane to runway 4 (a 12,010 foot long by 150 foot wide asphalt runway).

The flight crew further reported that during the final approach to landing, the airplane was right of the runway centerline and a left correction was initiated. The correction was "too severe," and the airplane overshot the runway centerline to the left. During the correction back to the right, the airplane bounced "hard." The captain then took the controls and completed a "safe" landing. The crew added that they were not aware that the right wing tip had struck the runway until after they exited the airplane.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, the right leading edge slat, right aileron, right flap, and right wing tip sustained structural damaged.

The digital flight data recorder was forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Division, Washington, D.C., for readout, and the Boeing Company subsequently analyzed the data. The flight data recorder revealed that the airplane was approximately .6 nautical miles (NM) left of centerline approximately 1.6 NM from the runway threshold. The airplane continued to descend and correct in a right direction towards centerline. The right wing dragged the runway while the airplane was on a heading of 050 degrees and in a 19-degree right wing low bank-angle. The airplane then rolled to a left wing low bank-angle of 13 degrees. Subsequently the airplane's main landing gear touched down on the runway 2,150 feet beyond where the right wing dragged the ground.

At 1851 mountain daylight time, the weather observation facility at El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas, was reporting the wind from 140 degrees at 07 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 84 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 54 degrees Fahrenheit, and barometric pressure setting of 30.08 inches of Mercury.

The NTSB investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude at approximately 6,391 feet above sea level.

NTSB Probable Cause

The first officer's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were the captain's delayed remedial action and the crosswind.