The Crash of USAir Flight 1016, Preparing the Weather Case for Trial

On July 2, 1994, USAir Flight 1016, a DC-9 with 52 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board, crashed while attempting a missed approach at Charlotte, North Carolina. Thirty-seven of the passengers received fatal injuries. WeatherData, Inc. was engaged by attorneys representing a number of the passengers to investigate the meteorological factors surrounding the crash and provide expert witness testimony at a civil trial. WeatherData meteorologists analyzed every available bit of meteorological information, integrating WSR-88D imagery, Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) data from the airport, eyewitness accounts, airplane performance, satellite imagery and conventional surface weather observations. WeatherData also developed an innovative simulation of the aircraft weather radar using WSR-88D data. Analysis revealed that Flight 1016 encountered a microburst and associated wind shear near the approach end of the runway while attempting to land during a thunderstorm. Over 120 courtroom presentation exhibits were created. The court found for the plaintiffs with a total award of over $80 million in damages.