- Date
- June 8, 1995, 19:08 local (23:08 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 6 minor, 55 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N908VJDouglas DC-9-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 17, 1997
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19950608017449A
- Case key
- 3631
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
failure of Turk Hava Yollari maintenance and inspection personnel to perform a proper inspection of a 7th stage high compressor disc, thus allowing the detectable crack to grow to a length at which the disc ruptured, under normal operating conditions, propelling engine fragments into the fuselage; the fragments severed the right engine main fuel line, which resulted in a fire that rapidly engulfed the cabin area. The lack of an adequate recordkeeping system and the failure to use 'process sheets' to document the step-by-step overhaul/inspection procedures contributed to the failure to detect the crack and, thus, to the accident.
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
As ValuJet Flight 597 began its takeoff roll, a 'loud Bang' was heard by the occupants, the right engine fire warning light illuminated, the crew of a following airplane reported to the ValuJet crew that the right engine was on fire, and the takeoff was rejected. Shrapnel from the right engine penetrated the fuselage and the right engine main fuel line, and a cabin fire erupted. The airplane was stopped on the runway, and the captain ordered evacuation of the airplane. A flight attendant (F/A) received serious puncture wounds from shrapnel and thermal injuries; another F/A and 5 passengers received minor injuries. Investigation revealed that an uncontained failure of the right engine had occurred due to fatigue failure of its 7th stage high compressor disc. The fatigue originated at a stress redistribution hole in the disc. Analysis of fatigue striation measurements indicated that the fatigue crack had originated before the disc was last overhauled at a repair station (Turk Hava Yollari) in 1991, but was not detected. Also, investigation of the repair station revealed evidence concerning a lack of adequate recordkeeping and a failure to use 'process sheets' to document the step-by-step overhaul/inspection procedures. (See NTSB/AAR-96/03 for additional information)
Factual narrative
Group Chairmen narrative reports are available in the docket.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N908VJ
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-9-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47321
- Airframe hours
- 630
- Engine
- P&W JT8D-9A, 14,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Valujet Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 2, 1995 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- ATL
- Destination
- MIA · Miami, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ATL · Hartsfield International, runway 27R, 11,889 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 221 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.