19990531018609I

Incident

FAA incident report · Boeing 757 · Wichita, KS · May 31, 1999

Date: May 31, 1999 · 20:45 local
Place: Wichita, KS
Airport: Wichita Mid-Continent
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: DALA
Aircraft: UNKNOWN
Reported as: Boeing 757
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 14,000 total179 in this make and model147 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.

(-23) Delta flight #801 was operating in the vicinity of thunderstorms and was unable to maintain airspeed at FL 390. Pilot requested FL 370. It was not available due to traffic and ATC advised that, if you will declare an emergency, we can give you an immediate descent. The pilot then declared an emergency; he was cleared to a lower altitude. Separation was lost between delta 801 and united 166 during that descent. Because an emergency existed, no further action is necessary.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DELTA FLIGHT #801 WAS OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORMS AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AT FL 390. PILOT REQUESTED FL 370. IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO TRAFFIC AND ATC ADVISED THAT, IF YOU WILL DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, WE CAN GIVE YOU AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT. THE PILOT THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY; HE WAS CLEARED TO A LOWER ALTITUDE. SEPARATION WAS LOST BETWEEN DELTA 801 AND UNITED 166 DURING THAT DESCENT. BECAUSE AN EMERGENCY EXISTED, NO FURTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY.