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19970104002469I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Doug MD-88 · Atlanta, GA · January 4, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 4, 1997 · 10:30 local
Place
Atlanta, GA
Airport
The William B Hartsfield Atla
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N968DL
Reported as
Doug MD88
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
N968DLRegistration cancelled Nov 29, 2022 · Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88S/N 53161 · Built 1990Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas MD-88Engine modelPratt & Whitney JT8D seriesTurbo-jet

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 4, 1997 at approximately 10:30 a.m. (15:30 z) a large piece of blue ice hit the home of ron sampson, privacy data omitted the ice went through the roof and ceiling, causing a 12-14 inch hole. It impacted the living room floor and broke in to large pieces. Damage to the home was to the roof and carpeting, which was contaminated with melted lavatory fluids. Radar tapes showed seven (7) aircraft were in the area around the time of the incident. They were: * delta flight 516 N925DL, an MD-88, from pvd to atl. Descending on down wind. * delta flight 1158, N968DL, an MD-88, from fll to atl. Descending on down wind. * delta flight 376, N521DA, a B727, from orf to atl. Descending on down wind. * delta flight 190, N733DS, an L1011, from mco to atl. Descending on down wind. * delta flight 518, N790DL, an L1011, from mia to atl. Descending on down wind. * delta flight 741, N654DL, a B757. Over flight at flight level 390. * air 2000 flight 547, a B757. Over flight at flight level 370. (This aircraft was to the west and winds were from the southeast, therefore, this aircraft is not a suspect aircraft.) After possible aircraft and their identification were known, a records inspection were conducted on each aircraft (excluding air 2000). Only one lavatory discrepancies was found. This was on 1/3/97 for N733DS and concerned the smell of the forward lavatory. No cases of blue streaks were found. Delta airlines was requested to inspect the above aircraft for leaks in the lavatory service area. FAA inspectors examined the two MD88 aircraft. No leaks or evidence of leaks were found on any aircraft. It is possible that a leak occurred on one of the aircraft for one flight leg. This could be caused by waste particles not allowing a proper seal, or personnel not tightening the service cap of the system. The next servicing could possibly clear the problem. Ground crews are instructed to notify maintenance of any evidence of blue streaks. The winds and weather conditions were ideal for the blue ice to have come from one of the aircraft descending east to west on the downwind to Atlanta Hartsfield airport.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 4, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 A.M. (15:30 Z) A LARGE PIECE OF BLUE ICE HIT THE HOME OF RON SAMPSON, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE ICE WENT THROUGH THE ROOF AND CEILING, CAUSING A 12-14 INCH HOLE. IT IMPACTED THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR AND BROKE IN TO LARGE PIECES. DAMAGE TO THE HOME WAS TO THE ROOF AND CARPETING, WHICH WAS CONTAMINATED WITH MELTED LAVATORY FLUIDS. RADAR TAPES SHOWED SEVEN (7) AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE AREA AROUND THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THEY WERE: * DELTA FLIGHT 516 N925DL, AN MD-88, FROM PVD TO ATL. DESCENDING ON DOWN WIND. * DELTA FLIGHT 1158, N968DL, AN MD-88, FROM FLL TO ATL. DESCENDING ON DOWN WIND. * DELTA FLIGHT 376, N521DA, A B727, FROM ORF TO ATL. DESCENDING ON DOWN WIND. * DELTA FLIGHT 190, N733DS, AN L1011, FROM MCO TO ATL. DESCENDING ON DOWN WIND. * DELTA FLIGHT 518, N790DL, AN L1011, FROM MIA TO ATL. DESCENDING ON DOWN WIND. * DELTA FLIGHT 741, N654DL, A B757. OVER FLIGHT AT FLIGHT LEVEL 390. * AIR 2000 FLIGHT 547, A B757. OVER FLIGHT AT FLIGHT LEVEL 370. (THIS AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE WEST AND WINDS WERE FROM THE SOUTHEAST, THEREFORE, THIS AIRCRAFT IS NOT A SUSPECT AIRCRAFT.) AFTER POSSIBLE AIRCRAFT AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION WERE KNOWN, A RECORDS INSPECTION WERE CONDUCTED ON EACH AIRCRAFT (EXCLUDING AIR 2000). ONLY ONE LAVATORY DISCREPANCIES WAS FOUND. THIS WAS ON 1/3/97 FOR N733DS AND CONCERNED THE SMELL OF THE FORWARD LAVATORY. NO CASES OF BLUE STREAKS WERE FOUND. DELTA AIRLINES WAS REQUESTED TO INSPECT THE ABOVE AIRCRAFT FOR LEAKS IN THE LAVATORY SERVICE AREA. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE TWO MD88 AIRCRAFT. NO LEAKS OR EVIDENCE OF LEAKS WERE FOUND ON ANY AIRCRAFT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A LEAK OCCURRED ON ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR ONE FLIGHT LEG. THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY WASTE PARTICLES NOT ALLOWING A PROPER SEAL, OR PERSONNEL NOT TIGHTENING THE SERVICE CAP OF THE SYSTEM. THE NEXT SERVICING COULD POSSIBLY CLEAR THE PROBLEM. GROUND CREWS ARE INSTRUCTED TO NOTIFY MAINTENANCE OF ANY EVIDENCE OF BLUE STREAKS. THE WINDS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL FOR THE BLUE ICE TO HAVE COME FROM ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING EAST TO WEST ON THE DOWNWIND TO ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT.