19940117002239I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Doug MD88 · Nashville, TN · January 17, 1994

Date
January 17, 1994 · 09:48 local
Place
Nashville, TN
Airport
Nashville International Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
DALA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N978DL
Reported as
Doug MD88
People aboard
47
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
9,800 total700 in this make and model136 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on January 17, 1994, delta airlines flight 1439 (dala 1439), an MD-88, N978DL, departed Nashville, TN. At approximately 0950 CST dala 1439 requested to "come back and land", stating that he "...did not need any assistance". He taxied to his gate where he was met by two American airlines mechanics, delta's maintenance contractors at Nashville. These mechanics observed heavy damage to the fan section of both #1 and #2 engines as well as observing that there was visible ice adhereing to the right wing root area near the wing trailing edge. They took (8) eight pictures of the engines and of the wings. When this office was notified of the incident on January 18, 1994, an on site inspection of the aircraft showed an area of ice at this same location. Inspection of the wing forward of the inboard spoiler, and outboard of the wing escape walkway. This latter area was visible only when viewed with an advantageous angle of sunlight to highlight it. Both engines had multiple bent and torn fan blades in all quadrants as well as damage to the shroud area just outboard of the fan blades. Icing conditions existed at departure time and the aircraft was an overnight at nashvil le. De-icing began at 0905 using a 50/50 glycol mix. A pre-departure contamination check was performed by the flight crew. The significant area of ice previously described was not visible from the cabin when this check was performed. Inspection of the de-icing equipment did not reveal any discrepancies.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 17, 1994, DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 1439 (DALA 1439), AN MD-88, N978DL, DEPARTED NASHVILLE, TN. AT APPROXIMATELY 0950 CST DALA 1439 REQUESTED TO "COME BACK AND LAND", STATING THAT HE "...DID NOT NEED ANY ASSISTANCE". HE TAXIED TO HIS GATE WHERE HE WAS MET BY TWO AMERICAN AIRLINES MECHANICS, DELTA'S MAINTENANCE CONTRACTORS AT NASHVILLE. THESE MECHANICS OBSERVED HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE FAN SECTION OF BOTH #1 AND #2 ENGINES AS WELL AS OBSERVING THAT THERE WAS VISIBLE ICE ADHEREING TO THE RIGHT WING ROOT AREA NEAR THE WING TRAILING EDGE. THEY TOOK (8) EIGHT PICTURES OF THE ENGINES AND OF THE WINGS. WHEN THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT ON JANUARY 18, 1994, AN ON SITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED AN AREA OF ICE AT THIS SAME LOCATION. INSPECTION OF THE WING FORWARD OF THE INBOARD SPOILER, AND OUTBOARD OF THE WING ESCAPE WALKWAY. THIS LATTER AREA WAS VISIBLE ONLY WHEN VIEWED WITH AN ADVANTAGEOUS ANGLE OF SUNLIGHT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. BOTH ENGINES HAD MULTIPLE BENT AND TORN FAN BLADES IN ALL QUADRANTS AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO THE SHROUD AREA JUST OUTBOARD OF THE FAN BLADES. ICING CONDITIONS EXISTED AT DEPARTURE TIME AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN OVERNIGHT AT NASHVIL LE. DE-ICING BEGAN AT 0905 USING A 50/50 GLYCOL MIX. A PRE-DEPARTURE CONTAMINATION CHECK WAS PERFORMED BY THE FLIGHT CREW. THE SIGNIFICANT AREA OF ICE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE CABIN WHEN THIS CHECK WAS PERFORMED. INSPECTION OF THE DE-ICING EQUIPMENT DID NOT REVEAL ANY DISCREPANCIES.