# Incident 19991215035699I: Doug MD88, Reno, NV, December 15, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 1999, 22:02 local time
- Place: Reno, NV
- Airport: Reno/Tahoe International Airport
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: MWEA
- Location: 39.4991° N, 119.7681° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RENO/TAHOE INTL (RNO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4991&lon=-119.7681&mi=10
- Aircraft: N701ME (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD88
- Reported engine: PWA JT8D17
- Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 10,000 in this make and model, 240 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991215035699I

## Narrative

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

(-23) 12/15/1999, MIDWEST EXPRESS FLIGHT 921 DEPARTED SFO DIRECT MKE.  2202Z, AT 33,000 FT CRUISE ALTITUDE OVER CENTRAL NEVADA, THE FLIGHT CREW EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION IN THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND AIRCRAME.  THE CAPTAIN WAS ALERTED BY ONE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS THAT THERE WAS VERY PRONOUNCED VIBRATION NEAR THE ENGINES.  THE CAPTAIN THEN WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK.  FINDING THE #1 ENGINE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION, HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED THE EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT-DOWN PROCURES.  THE FLIGHT CREW THEN DETERMINED THAT THE CLOSEST ALTERNATE AVAILABLE WAS RENO.  THEY THEN DECLARED THEIR INTENSIONS TO THE RENO TOWER.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT AT 2224Z ON RUNWAY 16R.  I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE ENGINES.  THE LEFT ENGINE BULLET AND THE #1 COMPRESSOR BLADE ASSY HAD BEEN STRUCK WITH FOD, DAMAGING THE BLADES AND THE SOUND PROOFING AREA.  ONE OF THE COMPRESSOR BLADES HAD ABOUT A SIX INCH OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE BLADE MISSING.  THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON COWLING AND LEAKING ON THE GROUND.  12/16/1999, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO AN ADJACENT WORK AREA WHERE MECHANICS FROM MIDWEST EXPRESS REMOVED THE LEFT ENGINE.     THE STARTER/GENERATOR WAS LOOSE AND AN OIL LINE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE WAS BROKEN AT A FITTING, LETTING ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL TO BE PUMPTED OVERBOARD. 12/19/1999 THE MIDWEST MECHANICS INSPECTED THE AIRFRAME AND INSTALLED A SERVICABLE ENGINE AS PER THE WORK CARDS AND AN RII INSPECTOR.  THE ENGINES WERE RUN AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN FLOWN BACK TO MILWAULKIE, WI HOME BASE FOR MIDWEST EXPRESS.  AN M & D REPORT IS TO FOLLOW THE ENGINE TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION.

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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