# Incident 19781226020479I: Doug DC9, Pittsburgh, PA, December 26, 1978

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 1978, 16:32 local time
- Place: Pittsburgh, PA
- Airport: International
- Phase of flight: Initial Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AAA
- Location: 40.4406° N, 79.9959° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pittsburgh, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4406&lon=-79.9959&mi=10
- Aircraft: N973VJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N973VJ-2003-07-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Douglas DC-9-31 (registry code 3022065, https://openairdocs.org/model/douglas-dc-9-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 series (registry code 52048, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-9-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC9
- People aboard: 97
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781226020479I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT UNABLE TO GET GEAR SAFE INICATION DIVERTED, LANDED SAFELY. GEAR DOWN LOCK SWITCH WAS FAULTY.

## Other reports on N973VJ (10)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19961107039259I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961107039259I), Nov 7, 1996: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Syracuse, NY, Minor damage. Narrative: on November 7, 1996 at 1330 EST a Douglas DC-9, N973VJ, flight 2123, operated by usair, inc., after take-off at 500' AGL, left engine ingested…
- [Incident 19901102055539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901102055539I), Nov 2, 1990: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Pittsburgh, PA. Aircraft lost right hydraulic system on climb. Diverted and landed. Ground spoiler bypass valve failed.
- [Incident 19890102062599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890102062599I), Jan 2, 1989: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Buffalo, NY. Cabin pressurization problem after departure. Returned. Unable to duplicate problem.
- [Incident 19881229069359I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881229069359I), Dec 29, 1988: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Pittsburgh, PA. Lost pressurization. Deployed masks and descended. Manually controlled pressure. Nose gear ground sense out of rig.
- [Incident 19880813043559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880813043559I), Aug 13, 1988: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Huntington, WV. Left engine fire caution light came on. Discharged fire bottles. Diverted to hts. No evidence of fire found.
- [Incident 19810507031299I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810507031299I), May 7, 1981: Doug DC9 (N973VJ), Baltimore, MD. Right main gear did not indicate down and locked. Aircraft ferried to main base. Found warn system breaker bad.
- [Incident 19801115079829I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19801115079829I), Nov 15, 1980: Doug DC931 (N973VJ), Pittsburgh, PA, Minor damage. Aircraft struck a deer just before rotation. Landed safely at destination.
- [Incident 19781030027899I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781030027899I), Oct 30, 1978: Doug DC9 (N973VJ), Windsor Locks, CT. Left out board tire blew out on landing.
- [Incident 19780607044929I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780607044929I), Jun 7, 1978: Doug DC9 (N973VJ), East Boston, MA. Crew heard loud noise in nose gear area. Returned to Boston. A nose gear door cable had broken.
- [Incident 19780220007499I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780220007499I), Feb 20, 1978: Doug DC9 (N973VJ), Washington, DC. Pilot diverted flight after experiencing a generator lockout.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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