# Incident 19981015036849I: Doug MD88, Boston, MA, October 15, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 15, 1998, 11:00 local time
- Place: Boston, MA
- Airport: General Edward Lawrence Logan
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: DALA
- Location: 42.3629° N, 71.0064° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GENERAL EDWARD LAWRENCE LOGAN INTL (BOS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3629&lon=-71.0064&mi=10
- Aircraft: N902DE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N902DE-2022-11-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 (registry code 3023689, 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
- Reported engine: PWA JT8D219
- People aboard: 134
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981015036849I

## Narrative

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

(-5)ON ONCTOBER 15, 1998, ABOUT 0740 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS MD-88, N902DE, OPERATED BY DELTA AIR LINES AS FLIGHT 915, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE AS THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM LOGAN AIRPORT, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.  THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE 2 CERTIFICATED COCKPIT CREWMEMBERS, 4 CABIN ATTENDANTS, AND 128 PASSENGERS.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE SCHEDULED FLIGHT THAT WAS DESTINED FOR ATLANTA, GA.  FLIGHT 915 WAS OPERATED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN UNDER 14 CFR PART 121 .  ACCORDDING TO DELTA AIR LINES, THE AIRPLANE WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE FIRST OFFICER.  AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE PILOTS FELT A LIGHT THUMP, AND NOTICED A NOSE-RIGHT YAW.  EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS REVEALED THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE (RIGHT SIDE) WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING POWER.  THERE WAS NO FIRE INDICATION.  AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND THE PILOTS REQUESTED A RETURN TO BOSTON.  THE AIRPLANE REMAINED UNDER CONTROL OF THE FIRST OFFICER WHILE THE CAPTAIN CONDUCTED THE CHECKLIST, AND THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS SECURED.  UPON LANDING GEAR EXTENSION, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS SLOW IN EXTENDING, AND THE PILOTS REQUESTED A CONTROL TOWER FLYBY TO VERIFY ITS EXTENSION.  DURING THE FLYBY, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AFTER WHICH THE PILOTS POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING.  ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AUXILIARY POWER UNIT (APU) WAS STARTED, AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE WAS MET BY AIRPORT FIRE FIGHTING VEHICLES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.  THE REMAINING ENGINE WAS SECURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS TOWED TO THE GATE WHERE THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED THROUGHT THE JETWAY.  EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE LOWER COWLING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND THE UPPER COWLING WAS DEFORMED.  THE OUTER CASE AROUND THE NINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS IN THE COMBUSTION SECTION OF THE ENGINE HAD RUPTURED ON THE BOTTOM.  THE OUTER CASE ACTED AS A PRESSURE VESSEL AROUND THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS.  THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS IN THE 5, 6, AND 7 O'CLOCK POSITIONS WERE DEFORMED.  THE ENGINE WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.