- Date
- July 7, 1987, 00:58 local (04:58 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, KY
- Injuries
- 32 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N324DLBoeing 737-232
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 7338
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Thunderstorms and lightning in the vicinity of the arpt prevented adding fuel to the acft and resulted in a delayed departure. The lou VOR was out of service, and the flt was radar vectored until it was cleared direct to lex and for the apch. At the time of the clearance the flt was 25 NM wnw of the dest arpt and north of the flt plan route. Both apch control and twr were closed for the night at lex. The VOR and ILS at the dest arpt were reported to be operational. Another company aircraft landed at lex while this flt was en route. ATC attempted to contact this acft when it was observed on radar to be descending from the assigned alt prior to reaching their dest. ATC requested the assistance of another acft's crew in attempting to contact this flt but were unsuccessful. Shortly after receiving apch clearance, the crew spotted an arpt with runway lights on, entered the traffic pattern and landed. They were seventeen NM from their scheduled dest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N324DL
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-232
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23069
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-15, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines,Inc.
- Registered owner
- Willmington Trust Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- SDF · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- LEX · Lexington, KY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FFT · Capital City Airport, runway 24, 5,005 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,794 total · 82 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LEX, 17 nm away