# Incident 20110228003229I: Mcdonnell D DC-9-51, Atlanta, GA, February 28, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 28, 2011, 21:25 local time
- Place: Atlanta, GA
- Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: DALA
- Location: 33.6367° N, 84.4279° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HARTSFIELD/JACKSON ATLANTA INTL (ATL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6367&lon=-84.4279&mi=10
- Aircraft: N784NC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N784NC-2014-06-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-51 (registry code 3022051, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-51) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 series (registry code 52049, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-17-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MCDONNELL D DC-9-51
- Reported engine: P & W JT8D-17 SER
- People aboard: 103
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 9,929 total, 8,167 in this make and model, 151 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110228003229I

## Narrative

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

FLIGHT 668, ARRIVED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA (ATL), GATE A-13 AND UTILIZED EXTERNAL POWER AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN. AFTER PASSENGERS BEGAN DEPLANING NORMALLY THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR, THE CAPTAIN (WHO WAS IN THE FLIGHT DECK ENTRY DOOR) OBSERVED SMOKE IN THE EXTERNAL POWER RECEPTACLE AREA. THE SMOKE EVENTUALLY ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE MAIN PASSENGER ENTRY DOOR. THE CAPTAIN THEN VERBALLY DIRECTED THE LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO EVACUATE OUT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR, HOWEVER, PASSENGERS AT THE EXIT ROWS BEGAN TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE OVER WING EXITS. THREE PASSENGERS FROM THE OVER WING EXITS EGRESSED TO THE RAMP AND OTHER PASSENGERS WERE ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. THE AFT FLIGHT ATTENDANT DECIDED TO USE THE TAIL CONE EMERGENCY EXIT, BUT IT WAS NOT OPERABLE. IN HER STATEMENT, SHE INDICATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE FORWARD AND AFT RELEASE HANDLES (LOCATED IN THE TAIL CONE AREA) BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE REAR STAIRS WERE LOWERED (PRESUMABLY BY GROUND PERSONNEL) AND ONE PASSENGER WAS ABLE TO WALK DOWN TO THE RAMP PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT BLOCKING THE EXIT AS UNUSABLE. AT SOME POINT, THE REAR TAIL CONE JETTISONED WITH THE REAR ESCAPE SLIDE INFLATING. IT IS STILL UNCLEAR WHY THE TAIL CONE AND SLIDE DEPLOYED LATE, THEREFORE, AN INVESTIGATION CONTINUES TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE CAPTAIN HALTED THE EVACUATION WHEN HE DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE PASSENGERS ON THE WINGS WERE BROUGHT BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY EXITS, AND DEPLANED NORMALLY. BASED ON AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION BY AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE DAL ATL CMU, IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS INTENSE HEAT FROM ARCING IN THE EXTERNAL POWER RECEPTACLE, BUT NO FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE ALUMINUM STRUCTURE AROUND THE EXTERNAL POWER RECEPTACLE AS WELL AS THE RECEPTACLE ITSELF. A PERTINENT MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCY WAS NOTED ON FEBRUARY 4, 2011 WHEN MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPLACED THE EXTERNAL POWER MONITOR.  THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE NTSB PURSUANT TO PART 830. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED.

## Other reports on N784NC (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19881220055439I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881220055439I), Dec 20, 1988: Doug DC951 (N784NC), Detroit, MI, Minor damage. NR2 main wheel failed on takeoff. Wheel pieces damaged aircraft.
- [Incident 19800518083649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800518083649I), May 18, 1980: Doug DC951 (N784NC), Chicago, IL, Minor damage. Flight returned due to hydraulic fluid loss. Found cracked nut on line.

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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