# Incident 19970104002469I: Doug MD88, Atlanta, GA, January 4, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 4, 1997, 10:30 local time
- Place: Atlanta, GA
- Airport: The William B Hartsfield Atla
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Location: 33.7490° N, 84.3880° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Atlanta, GA, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7490&lon=-84.3880&mi=10
- Aircraft: N968DL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N968DL-2022-11-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 (registry code 3023688, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-md-88) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D series (registry code 52053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD88
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970104002469I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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