20040114001959I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Doug DC982 · Dallas-Ft Worth, TX · January 14, 2004

Date: January 14, 2004 · 14:00 local
Place: Dallas-Ft Worth, TX
Airport: Dallas-Fort Worth International
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: AALA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N577AA
Reported as: Doug DC982
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,500 total2,367 in this make and model201 in the last 90 days

N577AARegistration cancelled Mar 25, 2014 · Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82(MD-82)S/N 53154 · Built 1991 Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82(MD-82)Engine 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.

(-23) Aircraft departed Dallas/fort Worth international (dfw) airport enroute to charlotte, north carolina (ctl). On climb out approximately 12,000 ft. the flight attendant notified the first officer (fo) that she had found a suspicious device in seat 25D. The captain told the flight attendant to move the device to the tail compartment of the aircraft. The captain declared an emergency and returned to dfw. Upon landing approximately 3000 ft. down the runway, the tail cone departed the aircraft. Investigation revealed the flight attendant failed to disarm the tail compartment door prior to opening. Upon landing fuselage pressures reduced and allowed the tail cone to fall away from the aircraft. The aircraft rear slide did not deploy.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL (DFW) AIRPORT ENROUTE TO CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (CTL). ON CLIMB OUT APPROXIMATELY 12,000 FT. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE FIRST OFFICER (FO) THAT SHE HAD FOUND A SUSPICIOUS DEVICE IN SEAT 25D. THE CAPTAIN TOLD THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO MOVE THE DEVICE TO THE TAIL COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CAPTAIN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO DFW. UPON LANDING APPROXIMATELY 3000 FT. DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE TAIL CONE DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT FAILED TO DISARM THE TAIL COMPARTMENT DOOR PRIOR TO OPENING. UPON LANDING FUSELAGE PRESSURES REDUCED AND ALLOWED THE TAIL CONE TO FALL AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT REAR SLIDE DID NOT DEPLOY.